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University of Alabama-Professor Bidez Says Ford Explorer Roof-Crush Precedes Catastrophic Neck Injury
By James B. Bleeker
University of Alabama-Birmingham biomedical engineering professor Martha Bidez stated, after review of sensor and video camera data from four crash tests sponsored by Ford Motor Company, that roof-crush of the Ford Explorer preceded catastrophic injuries to a dummies' necks in all of the rollover crashes. Professor Bidez said that Ford omitted these findings in its presentation to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is currently reviewing its decades-old roof-strength standards for a June or July announcement.
Ford responded, "We've looked at injury and fatality rates in rollovers involving vehicles that just meet the federal standard to vehicles that have roof strengths that are multiples of the federal standard and there isn't a difference,"1 and, "Simply strengthening the roof won't improve the safety of SUVs and passenger vehicles in rollovers."2
Joan Claybrook, formerly head of NHTSA and presently president of Washington-based Public Citizen, voiced her opinion, "Roof strength is absolutely critical to saving lives and preventing injuries in rollovers,"2 and, "Our understanding is that their [NHTSA's new roof-strength] standard will be extremely weak. It assures that the automakers will not have much to do."3
SUVs have a higher center of gravity; this makes them more difficult to maneuver and more prone to rollover. Hence, they, and the Ford Explorer in particular, seem to be rather relentlessly at the center of controversy. Mikal Watts, a Texas attorney who recently won a $31 million dollar judgment against Ford in a passenger-ejection action involving the Explorer, said, "This is such a poor-handling vehicle that if you just turn the steering wheel one-half of a quarter turn, it causes the vehicle to spin sideways,"4 but Ford spokeswoman Kathleen Vokes said, "There was no credible evidence introduced at this trial to support a jury finding that a vehicle defect caused this accident or the death and injuries."4 In the case, Ford counsel argued drinking, speeding, and failure to use seatbelts were the primary causal factors of the two teenager deaths; attorney Watts argued shortcomings of the Ford Explorer were the primary factors; the jury found the latter to be 90% at fault.
Of those lawsuits involving an Explorer rollover that have gone to trial, Ford claims to have won most, but losses are costly - about $400 million between the above verdict and a June verdict.
1 "Report: Ford Misled Regulators on SUV Data," Reuters, March 30, 2005, at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7340679/
2 "New Study Ties Death to Crushed Auto Roofs," Detroit News, March 31, 2005, at http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0503/31/A01-134889.htm
3 "Ford Attacked for Roofs," Detroit Free Press, March 31, 2005, at http://www.freep.com/money/autonews/irep31e_20050331.htm
4 "Explorer Suit Costs Ford $31 Million," Detroit News, March 3, 2005, at http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0503/03/E01-106007.htm
Sources for Explorer rollover crash information: The above four articles
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