04-16-2003, 09:01 AM
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Here's more.. this one's great.
http://www.safetrip.org/press/press_..._0520_usat.php
Quote:
State attorneys general, who collected $ 41.5 million to settle an investigation of Bridgestone/Firestone last November, are using part of the money starting this week to advertise the dangers of driving on underinflated tires.
The settlement included $ 5 million for tire safety education, because tire pressure figured prominently in the August 2000 recall of 6.5 million Firestone ATX, ATXII and Wilderness AT tires.
"Improper tire inflation results in thousands of accidents each year," says Tennessee Attorney General Paul Summers. Ads will run on cable and local TV and network radio in all major markets around the big summer driving weekends -- Memorial Day, July 4 and Labor Day. The TV ad compares the performance of underinflated tires with underinflated basketballs.
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Low pressure can cause tires to overheat and fail.
Though many consumers have a basic tire gauge rattling around in their glovebox or trunk, too few actually use them. A NHTSA survey last year found that 27% of passenger cars and 32% of trucks -- minivans, pickups and SUVs -- had at least one substantially underinflated tire.
All four tires were substantially underinflated on 8% of the trucks and 3% of the cars.
NHTSA estimates that proper tire inflation could save 50 to 80 lives a year and prevent between 7,000 and 11,000 serious injuries.
Congress responded to the Firestone case by passing legislation that will require new vehicles to have a tire-pressure warning device as standard equipment by 2004.
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http://www.classactiondefense.com/CM...ications25.asp
Quote:
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The tire litigation arises out of three basic allegations: (1) a design defect in the Ford Explorer which caused it to roll over with unusual frequency; (2) a design defect in certain Bridgestone/Firestone tires which caused the tire treads to separate prematurely; and (3) a conspiracy by the two companies to conceal the design defect of the Ford Explorer by intentionally underinflating the original issue Firestone tires. The underinflation had the intended effect of reducing the rollover caused by the design defect, but the unintended effect of exacerbating the tread separation defects, thereby creating different and more serious safety issues. These problems have allegedly caused more than 150 deaths, and have resulted in more than 240 lawsuits filed in the federal courts around the country, plus hundreds more filed in state courts.
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http://dailybeacon.utk.edu/article.php/7046
Quote:
Chances are you've driven around with one or more of your vehicle's tires underinflated at one time or another.
You're not alone. A federal government study last year estimated more than one in four cars, and one in three sport utility vehicles, vans and pickup trucks have at least one significantly underinflated tire.
Underinflation contributes to tire wear and tear, greater stopping distances and lower fuel economy.
Worse, it can lead to crashes, since over time underinflated tires - with sidewalls flexing and heat building up - can be damaged and even fail.
Remember what tire failures such as tread separations and blowouts did in the Ford Explorer/Bridgestone-Firestone tire crisis of 2000. Deaths totaled more than 270 and injuries were over 700.
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