Exploding Jeeps: A Lesson Not Learned From the Ford Pinto

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Remember the popular Ford Pinto that turned out to be a deadly ride if rear-ended?

In 1970, Ford decided to move ahead with production of their new Pinto, even though their engineering crash tests showed it had a flawed design that would cause the gas tank to explode if the car was hit from behind. An estimated 500 people died in rear-end collisions involving Pintos.

A hauntingly similar problem involves Chrysler’s Jeep Grand Cherokee and Liberty SUVs, which are designed with cheap plastic fuel tanks that can easily rupture in rear-end collisions because the tank is positioned between the rear axle and the bumper. Like the Pinto, these exploding Jeeps have caused death and destruction on America’s roads.

NHTSA Fails to Protect Jeep Passengers

In 2010, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began an investigation of the Jeep Grand Cherokee model years 1993-2004 and the Jeep Liberty model years 2002-2007. NHTSA’s investigation found at least 37 accidents and 51 wrongful deaths were related to the Jeep SUV’s gas tank issue. Even though NHTSA estimated 5.1 million vehicles were affected, they ordered a voluntary recall of only 2.7 million Jeeps in June 2013.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles immediately resisted the order, announcing their vehicles were safe and disputing the number of deaths attributed to the problem. Two weeks later Fiat Chrysler acquiesced but stated they would only recall 1.56 million vehicles.

Sergio Marchionni, the CEO of Fiat Chrysler, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, and the head of NHTSA, David Strickland, met in the summer of 2013 to determine how Chrysler would correct the problem. They agreed that Chrysler would install a trailer hitch to the recalled vehicles.

However, the agreement allowed Chrysler to install fake, non-functioning trailer hitches. They would not provide wiring capabilities to connect trailer brakes, nor were these hitches capable of safely towing trailers or loads. In fact, dealers were instructed to tell vehicle owners not to use the trailer hitches for any type of towing. Worse, their engineers knew that the hitch would provide almost no safety improvement in crashes over 20 miles per hour.

Today, only about a third of the recalled Jeeps have been retrofitted with the tow hitch because of a delay in manufacturing the part.

Jeep a Tragic Ride Back to the Future

Over four decades ago, Ford proceeded with production of the Pinto after an internal “cost analysis” determined that it would be more expensive to correct the gas tank’s flawed design than to pay out catastrophic injury and wrongful death settlements. After the truth was exposed in an article by Mother Jones, a mandatory recall was ordered, and lawsuits and criminal charges ensued. It took the Ford corporation years to repair its reputation.

Last week, a Georgia jury awarded $150 million in a wrongful death verdict to the family of a 4-year-old boy who was killed in 2012 when the Jeep Grand Cherokee he was riding in exploded after being rear-ended. The fuel tank was punctured during the crash and leaked fuel which ignited, burning the young boy to death in the back seat of the vehicle.

The death of the 4-year-old boy is just one of at least 50 deaths that are attributed to the Jeeps’ fuel tank issue. Consumers are now left questioning the failure of this corporation along with the regulatory agency that let these vehicles remain on the road.

NHTSA in Bed with Big Auto

NHTSA claims that consumer safety is their number one priority. But if that is to be believed, why did they allow Chrysler to negotiate the number of vehicles to be recalled, putting corporate profits ahead of consumer safety? Why was Chrysler allowed to proceed with an inadequate fix of their SUVs, and why have they been allowed to drag their feet bringing in the defective vehicles to install this very inadequate fix?

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that David Strickland, who stepped down as the head of NHTSA in 2014, now works as a lobbyist for a law firm that represents auto manufacturers, and which counts Chrysler as one of its clients.

Corporations need to be held accountable. The subordination of human safety to corporate profits is an issue that should have been resolved with the Ford Pinto litigation in the ‘70s. A $150 million wrongful death verdict may be the only way Chrysler will feel pressured to improve its vehicles, and it will send a message to other auto makers that they will be held accountable. An even stronger message can be sent by the Court by preserving the jury verdict and forcing Fiat Chrysler to pay the family every last cent of the $150 million award.

Consumers who own a recalled Jeep SUV may file complaints with the Center for Auto Safety or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Office of Defects Investigations at Safercar.gov.

 

GM Recalls Vehicles that Pose Fire Danger

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General Motors is in the middle of the largest safety crisis in automobile history. Over the past year, GM has issued 62 recalls, affecting 29 million vehicles. The most serious safety defect, caused by faulty ignition switches that spontaneously disengage while the car is in motion, have resulted in at least 23 deaths.

In the latest recall issued last month, GM targets over 221,000 Cadillac XTS and Chevrolet Impalas for brake pads that stayed engaged after the driver’s foot was off the pedal. GM said the problem was caused by the “electronic parking brake arm that applies pressure to the back of the brake pads not fully retracting after use.” This malfunction could lead to increased friction between the brake pads and the rotor, and could cause a fire.

Models years affected by the recall include 2013-2015 Cadillac’s XTS’ and 2014-2015 Impalas.

Another GM recall that involves vehicles with defects that pose a fire danger was announced last June. 189,000 SUVs are included in the recall that targets window switches that can catch on fire. GM admitted that the problem is caused when water leaks into the door panels where the switches are located, resulting in rust that can cause short circuits and overheating, and possibly fires. At least 28 vehicles have been reported to have caught on fire.

Recalled models include 2006 and 2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, Buick Rainer, Isuzu Ascender, and Saab 97-X.

GM anticipated the parts for the repairs to be available in October. Until their SUVs are repaired, GM is advising owners they should park their SUVs in open areas and not in garages or carports. GM has also advised dealers not to sell affected used SUVs until the part is replaced.

Before placing yourself and your family at risk of being in a car accident or other danger, find out about GM recalls at the GM Recall Center or the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration recall website at Safercar.gov .

Nursing Home Negligence

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Advances in medicine are steadily improving the quality of life of people, enabling them to live longer and healthier than ever. Unless there is a traumatic event or until a loved one’s health declines to the point they lose their independence, placing someone in the care of others is not something frequently contemplated.

But when family members cannot adequately care for a loved one because of advanced age or infirmity, they must often reach out and find professional caregivers.

Choosing a nursing home or assisted living facility for a loved one is one of the most difficult decisions a family can face. Knowing that loved ones are properly cared for and that their medical needs are met is of paramount importance. But if a facility search is not carefully conducted, the patient’s life could be at risk. Sadly, nursing home negligence is not easy to identify until it’s too late.

An investigation conducted last January by the Arizona Department of Health Services charged the nursing home Emeritus at Catalina Foothills and its executive director with numerous counts of neglect. The investigation found that on 19 separate occasions the facility and its caregivers failed to give a patient his prescribed medication. One of the excuses the executive director gave for the medication error was that she was on vacation. The executive director was placed on six months probation and the facility was assessed fines for each of the 19 violations.

When trying to find a facility for a loved one, conducting a web search is simple and can raise red flags about facilities that have failed inspections. Visiting http://www.azcarecheck.com/ provides immediate access to ADHS’ inspection information page to research the nursing home or assisted living facility you are evaluating. The website will confirm if any enforcement actions have been taken against a facility.

Carefully researching a healthcare facility for a vulnerable family member can provide peace of mind that your loved one will receive the care and attention you expect.

Distracted Driving

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As drivers, our ability to recognize danger and appropriately react to hazardous situations depends heavily on our sense of sight. When we drive, our eyes are constantly transmitting messages to our brain to help keep us safe.  But if you are distracted, even for just a couple of seconds, you increase the probability of putting yourself and others in danger.

We’ve all been behind or next someone guilty of distracted driving–who drifts into our lane or brakes suddenly because they aren’t paying attention to the road, or who is bobbing his head with the self deception that he is able to drive safely while texting.

According to Donald Fisher, a mechanical and industrial engineering professor at the University of Massachusetts and director of the Human Performance Laboratory, which studies driver behavior and safety, it takes two seconds for a driver to notice and react to a change in the road. Dr. Fisher says that a driver who texts is taking his or her eyes off the road for intervals of more than two seconds. He says finding the right key on a cell phone keypad can take longer than two seconds. Dr. Fisher also found that young, inexperienced drivers tended to have more frequent and longer periods of looking down, away from the road.

Many individuals have great confidence in their reaction time, but they don’t realize that texting involves visual, manual and cognitive attention, making texting the most consuming and fatal distraction they can do while driving.potentially

When driving, there are three different components involved in reacting to a hazardous road situation. The first is the mental processing time–the time it takes the brain to process that a hazardous condition exists and that it must respond accordingly. The second is movement time, which involves the action the driver has to take to avoid an accident by braking, speeding up, swerving, etc. The last is the device response time, which is the time it takes the vehicle to respond to the action taken by the driver to the situation. For example, a car will not stop immediately when a driver steps on the brakes. The amount of time it will take a car to stop depends on how fast the car is moving plus the condition of the road.

When a driver’s ability to make quick decisions is slowed or restricted by inattentiveness they place themselves in a much higher statistical risk of being in a motor vehicle accident. Making sure you’re using all your perceptive skills and senses while driving could make the difference between life and death. Next time you get behind the wheel of a car, take a couple of seconds to put your cell phone away before you hit the road. Those two seconds could just save your life.

Does Your Car Have a Black Box?

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For over a century the development of the automobile has been a symbol of freedom and independence. A new government rule that takes effect this fall may change Americans’ perceptions of their carefree mode of transportation.

Beginning September 1, 2014, the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration will require that all new vehicles have an Event Data Recorder, or a Black Box, as some may refer to it.

Some automakers, like GM, began putting EDRs in cars as early as 1996. Learning that the car you drive has been recording your movements might be a bit disconcerting.  Some may even feel their privacy is somehow being invaded.

EDRs measure and record events up to five seconds before a collision, including force of impact, engine speed, vehicle speed, direction, steering input, airbag deployment, safety belt usage, acceleration position and braking status.

The data collected by EDRs is increasingly being used in lawsuits and in high profile motor vehicle accidents. However, obtaining the data may be a tricky endeavor. Law enforcement agencies may have to obtain a search warrant and insurance companies may need a court order, unless the owner consents to the retrieval of the data.

In the near future, the black box data from accident vehicles may allow insurance companies to potentially change drivers’ rates and perhaps the liability the insurance company claims when you are involved in an accident.

The newly mandated rule by NHTSA should be a greater incentive for consumers to practice better and safer driving, making any data collected by a black box to work in their favor in the event of an accident.

Is Your Child’s Car Seat a Death Trap?

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Picking a car seat can be one of the most important decisions parents can make for their children. This is a matter not to be taken lightly, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that car accidents are the number one cause of death for children under the age of 12.

The trust a parent places in the car seat they select comes from the expectation that it is going protect their child if they’re in a car accident. Unfortunately, car seats are not always failproof.

Last February, car seat manufacturer Graco was forced by NHTSA to recall 4.9 million toddler seats because the harness buckles became easily jammed if food or drinks were spilled on them, making it difficult to remove the child from the seat. In some cases, parents had to cut the straps to remove their children from the defective seats.

Last month, Graco ended a five-month battle with NHTSA, agreeing to recall an additional 1.9 million infant car seats for the same issue. When combined with the earlier toddler car seat recall, the total Graco recall makes it the largest recall of car seats in American history.

What can parents do to make sure their children are safe in their car seats? They can start by registering their child’s car seat to ensure they receive email updates and recall notifications about their child’s car seat. This is especially important because manufacturers are required by law to inform consumers of any potential safety issues with their products.

Parents should also become familiar with the many resources available to them about car seat safety. NHTSA has set up a website at Safercar.gov to teach parents how to buy the right car seat for their child depending on their age and size; how to install a car seat; car seat ratings; and car seat registration and recalls.

Locally, Safe Kids Pima County and participating fire stations will help parents properly install their child’s car seat. Call 520-324-2783 for locations and to make an appointment.

Spending a few minutes learning about the products that you trust to protect your loved ones can make the difference between life and death if you find yourself involved in a car accident.