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Letters
from Public Citizen and Center for Auto Safety FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 27, 2002 FOR
MORE INFORMATION
NFord's "Good First Step" Needs to be Followed by Third Party Review, Use of Better Technology PHOENIX -- Ford's recommendations for decreasing the likelihood of its Crown Victoria police cars bursting into flames after rear-end impact were welcomed as a "good first step" today by victims and family members, who again urged Ford to adopt state-of-the-art safety measures shown to prevent fires in very high speed impacts. The proposals also are admissions, after the fiery deaths of at least 12 officers, that the Crown Victoria is inadequately designed for the unique circumstances law enforcement personnel often find themselves in, said David Perry, co-counsel for the families of law enforcement officers killed in the cruisers. "Eight officers have died in the last two years. It is tragic that Ford did not deal with this two years ago," Perry said. "While Ford's recommendations are a good first step, they don't go far enough in protecting officers, given that much better, more comprehensive technology is available," said Pat McGroder, Phoenix attorney and co-counsel for a number of the victims and families of officers injured or killed. Ford today said it would offer to upgrade all Crown Victoria police cars with plastic shields covering some areas of the fuel tank susceptible to puncture, a special container for carrying sharp objects in the trunk, and written instructions about how to mount the container to avoid puncturing the trunk. Ford's recommendations should be tested by third parties for their effectiveness before police officers begin relying on them for their lives, the heads of two national consumer safety organizations urged today in joint letters to the National Highway Transportation Administration (NHTSA) and Arizona Attorney General Janet Napolitano. "We strongly urge these fixes be tested independently to confirm they will protect police officers in the 80-plus mile per hour rear impacts in which occupants survive the crash forces only to burn to death," said Clarence Ditlow, Center for Auto Safety , and Joan Claybrook, Public Citizen. At least 12 officers have burned to death and 9 have been seriously injured after their Crown Victoria's burst into flames after being rear-ended in high speed collisions. "We welcome Ford's efforts, but the consequences of an ineffective solution to this problem can be fatal. We cannot risk that," said Ann Marie Nielsen, whose husband Robert Nielsen, a Chandler, AZ police officer, died June 12. "On behalf of law enforcement, I urge Ford to submit its proposed solution to testing by NHTSA (National Highway Transportation Safety Administration) and other third parties, to ensure it is the absolute best protection for officers." Cynthia Cruz, daughter of Arizona Trooper Juan Cruz killed in 1998, added, "While we applaud any definitive action by Ford to make the Crown Victoria safer, we cannot afford to rush into anything without adequate testing and review. Law enforcement officers believe in evidence and corroboration. "We must submit any recommendation to this process or it will forever be suspect. That is the least we can do for our loved ones who have already paid the ultimate price of Ford's failure to act until now." At issue is the location of the Crown Victoria fuel tank, which lies behind the rear axle. High speed rear-end crashes push the fuel tank against portions of the rear axle or suspension system with enough force to rupture the tank, spill fuel and ignite the vehicle. With few exceptions, like Ford's own Mustang , the auto industry has moved gas tanks forward of the rear axle for greater crash protection. That move followed litigation in the 1970s that focused on gas tank fires in the Ford Pinto. However, Ford has steadfastly refused to alter the design of the Crown Victoria. Ford's "Panther" platform, which includes the Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car, is one of the oldest auto platforms in the industry. The longer a platform stays in service without substantial change, the more profitable it becomes. Meanwhile, class action lawsuits have been filed against Ford in Texas, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida and Ohio. For more information log on to http://www.safetyforum.com/cvpi, or visit the Center for Auto Safety's website at www.autosafety.org.
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