Ford Hides Vehicle Rollover Documents
Posted: Wednesday, May 17th 2006
Ford is not rolling over when it comes to hiding its internal rollover documents
On May 12, 2006, the Detroit News reported that Ford was trying to keep internal documents and the deposition of a Volvo engineer from becoming public. A Michigan judge is considering releasing these materials to the public. To truly enjoy the predicament Ford has found itself in requires a little history lesson.
For years Ford has defended rollover cases against its products, especially its pickup trucks, by having its engineers and hired guns (expert witnesses) testify that roof strength is not a key factor in passenger safety in auto accidents. Stop, I know what you are thinking, “Of course roof strength is a factor ... if a truck rolls over and the roof crushes in, the occupants will be injured.” Well, you know that, I know that, and heck, even Ford knows that. Still, Ford has defended these cases by claiming roof strength isn’t a factor.
“Of course roof strength is a factor ... if a truck rolls over and the roof crushes in, the occupants will be injured.”
There is a lot of independent research that demonstrates Ford's claims about roof strength (not being a key factor in passenger safety) is as silly as you and I believe it is. Still, it hasn't always mattered, has it?
Ford has defended numerous rollover cases, with sworn testimony in a court of law, arguing that roof strength isn’t a factor in rollover injury or death. In some of those cases, Ford’s arguments have won the day, leaving a disabled person, or the wife, husband or child of a deceased person, not just without a normal life or a loved one, but without an honest, meaningful, day in court.
Now let's fast forward to the present. Ford’s current problem is the result of it having purchased Volvo, the automaker with the reputation of actually putting safety first.
To put safety first, and mean it, an automaker must perform realistic tests on its products. To analyze the data from the tests, documents are generated. These documents are analyzed by engineers who, hopefully, share the goal of putting safety first. It appears that a volvo engineer gave sworn deposition testimony presumably discussing the internal documents that Ford does not want the public to see. Why? Ford says the documents contain proprietary information.
That's interesting becuase the Detroit News has seen some of these materials and reports that the documents show that Volvo has determined that roof strength is a factor in preventing injury during vehicle rollovers. Let's say that again for emphasis.
The Detroit News has seen some of these materials and reports that the documents show Volvo has determined that roof strength is a factor in preventing injury during vehicle rollovers.
So, Volvo’s research and testing may actually undermine Ford’s defense in rollover cases. Wouldn't it be interesting if Ford's standard rolloverover defense is put to an unmerciful, public death because of it's aquisition of Volvo, a company Ford presumably bought so it could profit from Volvo's reputation for safety? While not a textbook definition of irony, it's interestingly close.
P.S.
As an aside, it's interesting to note that Ford claims these documents were given to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which agreed to keep the documents sealed.
Yep, the federal agency charged with protecting motorists agreed to keep the documents from becoming public knowledge.