The Ford Explorer’s Fatal Safety Error
We’ve all heard by now that the Ford Explorer SUV in combination with the Bridgestone-Firestone tires allegedly suffers from a tire tread separation problem which can lead to accidents. The National Center for Policy Analysis (which, despite the bland title, is basically a right wing think tank) reports on some interesting data based on the federal government’s Fatal Accident Reporting System. Here’s how three categories of vehicles break down when it comes to fatal accidents:
- Passenger cars: 1.5 deaths per 100 million Vehicle Miles Traveled
- SUVs of similar size to the Ford Explorer: 1.3 deaths per 100 million Vehicles Miles Traveled
- Ford Explorer: 1.1 deaths per 100 million Vehicle Miles Traveled
Assuming these figures are accurate and there are no significant confounding factors, the Ford Explorer’s design flaw is obvious: their engineers didn’t do enough to prevent accidents that make good nightly news stories. Or to put it in engineer-speak, the Ford Explorer is prone to serious crumpling from high speed media turns.
Ford needs to stop worrying about the overall safety of its vehicles and instead make certain they’re media proof.
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