U.S. agency looking at 21 deaths in tire probe
August 4, 2000
BY TIM DOBBYN
REUTERS
WASHINGTON -- Federal regulators said Thursday they were now probing 21
deaths in crashes of pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) where
tire failure may have played a role.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began
investigating Bridgestone Firestone tires in May after reviewing complaints
of tread separation from consumers.
NHTSA said initially the agency had data on 33 crashes and four deaths from
the last 10 years, but news reports about the probe brought a flood of
additional complaints. "Frankly, we can probably expect more," said
spokeswoman Elizabeth Neblett.
Bridgestone Firestone says properly inflated and maintained ATX, ATX II and
Wilderness tires are "among the safest tires on the road."
Ford Motor Co. Explorers are involved in many of the accidents reported
although vehicles made by General Motors , Toyota Motor Corp , were among
others also sold with the tires.
Both Ford and Bridgestone have been asked to provide information to NHTSA.
Included in the 193 complaints received so far are reports of blowouts and
instances where the tread wrapped around the axle and caused a loss of
control.
NHTSA is investigating whether warmer climates play a role. States strongly
represented in the data include Texas, Florida, Arizona and Southern
California.
Florida's State Highway Patrol issued a memo June 26 to its troop commanders
asking that any reports of accidents involving the ATX and Wildnerness tires
be forwarded to NHTSA.
Two safety groups, Strategic Safety and Public Citizen, have asked Ford, the
number two automaker, to recall millions of vehicles fitted with Bridgestone
tires as standard equipment.
The ATX, ATX II and Wilderness tire lines have been fitted to Ford Explorer
SUVs -- of which 3.5 million have been made in the last 10 years -- and
Ranger small pickups.
Ford says the tires have also been standard equipment over the last decade
on most Ford Expedition and Mercury Mountaineer SUVs and F-Series full-size
pickups.
The automakers's top safety executive said Wednesday the company was
conducting its own investigation into the situation.
While stressing not all the facts were available, Helen Petrauskas, vice
president for environmental and safety engineering, said the company was
considering all of its options to take care of its customers. That could
include recalling vehicles or changing tire brands.
"We don't have all the facts yet. But one thing I can say with certainty. If
we find there's some common cause to these accidents that have been reported
to us, Ford is going to take care of its customers, and that's a promise,"
she said.
Bridgestone Firestone has encouraged concerned customers to come to their
nearest Firestone tire center for a free inspection for damage, excessive
wear and proper inflation.
Harry Baumgardner, a former Firestone supervisor who has testified in
several lawsuits over the tires, said he believed it was a combination
problem involving both the design of the tires and handling characteristics
of the Ford Explorer.
Repeated flexing of the tire allowed the sharp edges of the metal belt to
create a separation of the tread which would not be noticed until it was
peeled off at high speed by centrifugal force, he said.
"The tire would benefit from the addition of a nylon strip to protect the
belt edge," said Baumgardner, president of Tire Consultants Inc. in
Alpharetta, Georgia.
Ford offered free replacement tires for Explorers this spring in Venezuela
after media reports of accidents there.
The automaker said the accidents occurred because the tires were
underinflated, overloaded, excessively worn, improperly repaired or
otherwise damaged. Many of the accidents occurred after driving in excess of
100 mph for multiple hours in extreme heat.
Japan's Bridgestone Corp. bought U.S. tire maker Firestone in 1988.
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