Issues
Where AAA and its critics have disagreed
March 9, 2003
Here’s a rundown on some of the spats between AAA and its critics.
In March 2002, two AAA clubs in California sent a letter to the California Senate opposing legislation that would lower carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles. The letter argued that the rules could "result in significant adverse consequences for the motoring public in California."
Green Machine: Eco-friendly Auto Club Challenges Long-dominant AAA
March 9, 2003
By Rosemary Camozzi
For The Register-Guard
It’s the middle of the night and there’s no one in sight. When your car breaks down, who ya gonna call?
For nearly 46 million U.S. drivers, the answer is simple: AAA. The only organization with more members in the United States is the Catholic Church.
Is Your Car As Good As You Think It Is?
Jonathan Fahey
Forbes.com
The BMW X5, the sleek $50,000 sport utility, and the Ford Focus, the humble-but-nimble $15,000 compact, have more in common than one might think: Not only are they universally loved by drivers, but they are also two of the most-recalled models in automotive history.
Formula Predicts Rollover Risk
Advocates want roll-ratings; automakers say process is faulty
By Gary Stoller, USA TODAY
July 17, 2000
Rollover crashes kill one of every four people who die in auto accidents, the federal government says. Yet while consumers can find out how vehicles perform in government crash tests, they cannot tell which vehicles are most prone to rolling over in an accident.
Tort Liability of Dealers Selling 1973-1987 GM Pickups
ESSENTIAL INFORMATION
Washington DC
October 18, 1993
Dear General Motors Truck Dealer:
We are writing to notify you, that in our view, you face enormous potential liability losses should you sell a used General Motors pickup with side saddle gas tanks without remedying the hazard. The clear basis for your liability is explained in the attached legal memorandum from the Center for Auto Safety. General Motors itself lost a $105 million verdict in one lawsuit on these pickups.
Burned cop brings message on patrol car safety
Albany– Phoenix officer who was disfigured by fire to speak before state Senate committee
By CAROL DeMARE, Staff writer
First published: Tuesday, March 11, 2003
A Phoenix police officer who was severely burned when his Ford Crown Victoria cruiser burst into flames will tell a state Senate committee today what can happen if the automaker isn't pressured into making patrol vehicles safer.
Ford Sandbags Crown Victoria Safety
Failure Analysis Test Report Cover Letter and Description, .PDF
Ford says safety kits for Crown Vic cruisers unproven
By Joel Stashenko, Associated Press, 3/11/2003 15:43
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) Two fuel system safety devices being considered by the New York State Police for the 1,100 Crown Victoria Interceptors in its fleet have not been proven to work, a Ford Motor Co. executive said at a state Senate hearing Tuesday.
Neither a fuel tank bladder nor a fire suppression device have conclusively been shown as effective or feasible in testing Ford is conducting, said Susan Cischke, Ford vice president for environmental and safety engineering.
Ford Misleading on Safety of Police Cars, City Says
Automaker says fuel shields weren’t meant to prevent leakage
03/01/2003
By TANYA EISERER / The Dallas Morning News
Dallas City Attorney Madeleine Johnson accused Ford Motor Co. on Friday of misleading the public into believing that installing protective shields around the Crown Victoria police car’s fuel tank would make it safer.
The Dallas Police Department has retrofitted more than 700 cars with the shields.
In the Debate on S.U.V.’s, There’s a New Casualty Count
March 2, 2003
By DANNY HAKIM
New York Times
DETROIT — What makes one automobile safer than another? This used to be a simple question. Regulators looked at collision data. If more people tended to die while riding in Vehicle X than in Vehicle Y, then Vehicle Y was safer. In the 1970’s, the government added crash testing to study how cars did in different kinds of collisions.