Ford Crown Vics, new info.

[NJFFSA16]

DALLAS (AP) - An off-duty Dallas police officer was killed in a
highway accident when a sport-utility vehicle slammed into the back
of his slow-moving Ford Crown Victoria squad car, causing it to
burst into flames.
Officer Patrick Metzler, 31, died in the early Wednesday morning
collision. He was an eight-year veteran of the Dallas Police
Department, and is survived by his parents, brother and sister who
live out of state.
Police departments have complained that Crown Victorias are
prone to catch fire when struck from the rear at high speed because
the gas tank is positioned behind the rear axle. Metzler's death
came the same week that Ford officials said new fuel tank shields
were being sent to dealers.
At least a dozen officers across the country have been killed in
fiery crashes in Crown Victorias since 1983.
Metzler was one of three officers driving slowly along a freeway
as escorts for a large truck with lighted arrows directing cars
away from a closed lane, said Dallas Police Department spokeswoman
Janice Houston.
Investigators said the driver of the SUV, Jeffrey Goddard, 23,
of Dallas, swerved in front of the sign truck and struck Metzler's
vehicle, which was the last of the three police cars.
Alcohol is suspected as a factor in the crash. Police said
witnesses reported that the red Jeep had been swerving and
traveling above the speed limit.
Goddard and an unidentified passenger were taken to Baylor
University Medical Center. Goddard suffered a broken hip, and was
listed in fair condition Wednesday. The passenger suffered minor
injuries, police said.
Goddard was booked on suspicion of intoxicated manslaughter.
Blood alcohol test results will not be available for several days,
Houston said.
The fatal collision comes one month after Ford Motor Company's
announcement that it had concluded a study to determine what
modifications could be made to police Crown Victoria to reduce the
possibility of fire in rear-end collisions.
The study recommended installing a shield kit for certain parts
along the rear axle to protect the vehicle from puncture sources,
Ford spokeswoman Sara Tatchio said.
Ford agreed last month to provide kits for approximately 350,000
Crown Victorias. The shield kits will start being shipped out
Monday, Ford spokeswoman Kristin Kinley said.
She said the shield kits are the first official recommendation
Ford has made to police departments regarding modifications to
Crown Victorias.
However, Dallas police officials said Ford recommended changes
last October, and that Metzler's vehicle recently had been modified
in accordance to that recommendation.
"Basically, the procedural code called for the removal of a
sharp edge component from the rear axle that could puncture the gas
tank in a rear-impact collision," said Jennifer Li of the Dallas
police department.
The modifications weren't made until September because the
department did not learn of the recommendation until May 2002, said
Dallas Police Department Fleet Manager Sgt. Mike Flusche.
"They didn't advertise it very much," he said.
Crown Victorias make up 57 percent of the Dallas police fleet,
Houston said.
----
On the Net:
http://www.safetyforum.com
http://www.cvpi.com

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Ford Crown Victorias that have not been
retrofitted to prevent fires following violent rear-end collisions
have been pulled from patrol duty by New York state troopers,
officials said Thursday.
State Police Superintendent James McMahon said he has told
supervisors not to send troopers out in vehicles not retrofitted
with fuel tank shields.
There are enough Crown Victorias that have been fitted with the
shields or non-Crown Victoria vehicles in the State Police fleet to
keep patrols on the roads throughout the state, the Division of
State Police said Thursday.
Earlier in the day, the union representing troopers urged its
members to refuse to patrol in non-retrofitted Crown Victorias and
called for all those vehicles to be taken out of service until they
get shields.
"It does not seem to be an unreasonable demand for us to say,
`Park those unsafe cars that are of the type that can explode,"'
said President Daniel De Federicis of the Police Benevolent
Association (PBA) of the New York State Troopers.
The Dec. 19 death of Trooper Robert Ambrose when his troop car
was rear-ended on the shoulder of the state Thruway in Yonkers may
have been avoidable, according to De Federicis.
De Federicis said State Police officials assured the union in
October that the installation of the fuel tank shields would be a
top priority. The troop car Ambrose was sitting in when it was
struck from behind was not retrofitted, however, and De Federicis
said a large number of other Crown Victorias used by troopers still
do not have the shields.
"We do not know if the plastic shield would have ultimately
saved Trooper Ambrose, but we are outraged that the Division of
State Police did not take every step to stack the odds in his
favor," said a letter De Federicis sent to the 3,400 PBA members
in the State Police force.
A statement issued by State Police said the whole force mourns
Ambrose's death.
"We will not know the answer to the question of whether
installation of a gas tank shield would have prevented Trooper
Ambrose's tragic death, until the vehicle is examined by a team of
independent experts," the statement said.
Troopers were also sent grievance forms by the PBA to fill out
if they are ordered to use Crown Victorias that don't have the fuel
tank shields. Ultimately, troopers would have had to use such
vehicles if ordered to do so by superiors because to refuse would
represent an illegal job action under the state's Taylor Law, which
prohibits strikes by public employees in the state.
On Christmas Eve, state Sen. Nicholas Spano of Westchester
County called on police agencies throughout the state to suspend
purchases of Crown Victorias because of questions about their
safety.
At least 13 police officers nationwide have died over the past
two decades following crashes in which their Crown Victorias caught
on fire, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration. Ford agreed three months ago to install gas tank
shields on some 350,000 Crown Victorias used in the United States
as police cruisers.
De Federicis said the Division of State Police was "furiously
scrambling" to get the fuel tank shields installed, but that it
remained unclear what percentage of its Crown Victorias had been
retrofitted.
The PBA also called on the Ford Motor Co. to take more
responsibility for the dangers of rear-end crashes to Crown
Victorias and to use state-of-the-art technology to improve the
model's fuel systems.
Ford spokeswoman Kristen Kinley countered that the Crown
Victoria is a "safe and effective vehicle for police work."
"The specific accidents being addressed are rare and extreme,"
she said. "No one can completely eliminate accidents or take away
the unpredictability of extremely high-speed crashes. However, we
believe the enhancements - the shielding kits - will make a
difference."
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in
October that the Crown Victoria exceeds federal standards for fuel
system safety.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

NEW YORK (AP) - A police group has filed a lawsuit claiming that
Ford Motor Co. failed to fix a defect that can cause its Crown
Victoria police cruisers to erupt in flames when hit from behind.
The National Police Association, which represents more than
1,000 police unions around the country, filed the lawsuit Wednesday
in federal court in New York City.
Last month, State Trooper Robert Ambrose died on the New York
State Thruway when a sport utility vehicle rammed into his Crown
Victoria cruiser. The lawsuit cites Ambrose's death and seven other
similar accidents.
Ford denied the cars are dangerous. Company spokeswoman Kathleen
Vokes told the Daily News the suit was "totally meritless."
In September, Ford agreed to pay for the installation of shields
around the gas tanks on police-issued Crown Victorias. Some 350,000
police cars across the country - about 80 percent of all police
cruisers - are Crown Victorias.
The company argues that the real problem, though, is not with
the car but from the way it is used.
"(Police officers) are using their vehicles as shields and
these vehicles are not designed to be shields; they're designed to
be cars," Ford spokeswoman Carolyn Brown said last month in
response to a suit filed in Texas. "It's a scenario that spells
disaster."
The company said modifications to the consumer version of the
Crown Victoria are not necessary because most drivers don't submit
cars to the pressures that police officers do. That argument was
criticized by former National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
chief Joan Claybrook, president of the consumer advocacy group
Public Citizen.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[Hooligan]

IMHO, this is a big stink about nothing. 12 incidents in 20 years of service when hundreds of thousands of the vehicles are on the road is pretty low. Besides, any time you have a container of volatile fuel on board a vehicle and drive into it at 80 mph, what do you think could happen? The deaths are unfortunate and any steps to prevent future ones are great, but I don't think this is a case of Ford building a death trap like I hear everywhere.

[CALFFBOU]

Originally posted by Hooligan
IMHO, this is a big stink about nothing.
The deaths are unfortunate and any steps to
prevent future ones are great, but I don't
think this is a case of Ford building a death
trap like I hear everywhere.

HOOLIGAN- THANKS FOR YOUR OPINION BUT IF FORD
CAN ADD A PART TO EACH CROWN VIC FOR UNDER
A MERE $20.00 (HEAT SHIELD) AS A TAX PAYER,
I THINK ITS WORTH IT. WHAT IF THAT WAS YOU IN
A FD CROWN VIC AND *YOU* WERE KILLED, SHOULD WE
THINK THE SAME WAY???

[NJFFSA16]

Have you got a Crown Vic....as a chief's vehicle?

DALLAS (AP) - The City Council decided Wednesday not to buy any
more Ford Crown Victoria police cruisers, which have come under
increasing criticism as being prone to burn when rear-ended at high
speeds.
"We did that today informally as a council upon advice of our
attorney," Dallas Mayor Laura Miller said. "I go to the U.S.
Conference of Mayors on Friday, and I'd like to get a lot more
vocal about the fact that we have a major problem that Ford isn't
recognizing. Ford needs to do something," Miller said.
Police unions and some political leaders have complained about
the safety record of the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor,
manufactured by Ford Motor Co. Roughly 350,000 of the vehicles are
on the nation's roads as patrol cars for four in five police
departments.
Since 1983, 14 officers - including one from Dallas - have died
in crashes when the gas tank of their Crown Victorias caught fire
after being hit from behind.
The automaker has denied the cars are dangerous but has been
retrofitting older models with plastic shields designed to better
protect the gas tanks.
A Dallas police officer was killed on Oct. 23 when his Crown
Victoria was hit from behind and burst into flames as he was
working off-duty with a construction crew on an expressway. The
family and Dallas sued Ford.
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., on Wednesday urged the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to reopen its
investigation into deadly gas tank explosions involving the Crown
Victoria.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

WASHINGTON (AP) - The recent death of a Missouri state trooper
has prompted a New York senator to call on the federal government
to reopen its investigation into Ford Motor Co.'s Crown Victoria,
the most popular model police car.
Sen. Charles Schumer sent a letter to the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration on Wednesday, urging the agency to
look into the issue of deadly gas tank explosions on the Crown
Victoria.
"We know that there's a problem, and now we need to figure out
what we need to do to lve it," the New York Democrat said in a
statement. "If that means changing cars so that a different model
is used, so be it. Time is of the essence."
Police unions and some political leaders have complained about
the safety record of the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor. About
350,000 of the vehicles are on the nation's roads as patrol cars
for approximately 80 percent of police departments.
Since 1983, 14 officers have died in crashes when their Crown
Victoria's gas tank caught fire after being hit from behind.
The most recent occurred in western Missouri last week, when a
25-year-old trooper died in a fiery wreck while pulled over on an
interstate. Last December, New York state trooper Robert Ambrose
was killed on a Yonkers highway when his patrol car was struck from
behind. Ambrose's family is suing Ford.
The automaker has denied the cars are dangerous, but initiated a
program of retrofitting older models with plastic shields designed
to better protect the gas tanks.
Ambrose's vehicle did not have the shield; the victim in the
Missouri wreck, Trooper Micheal Newton, did have a shield on his
vehicle.
A 10-mon probe by the NHTSA determined last November that
vehicles with the Crown Victoria's fuel system involved in a rear
crash caught fire 8 percent of the time, compared to 6.3 percent
with the fuel system used in the comparable Chevrolet Caprice.
NHTSA said the car meets current federal standards that require
a vehicle to withstand a rear crash at 30 miles per hour without
leaking fuel. The agency also said the vehicle did not leak fuel
during a test at 50 miles per hour, which the agency has proposed
to be the new standard.
The agency said almost all of the fuel leaks occurred after a
very high-speed crash.
---
On the Net:
NHTSA: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov
Ford Motor Co.: http://www.ford.com

[mcaldwell]

It's good to see that they are actually doing something about this. Now I will have to see if I can get that retrofit in my own Crown Vic (it's my POV but used for duty calls).

I also think the few people who wish to absolve the auto manufacturers from their responsibility need to see the Frontline Report entitled "Rollover: The Hidden History of the SUV."

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/rollover/

This report clearly shows how Ford and other manufacturers Covered up the known hazards of the early Explorers and similar SUVs to protect thenselves from liability. Even when they were told by their own engineers that a small and cheap change of wheelbase would solve the issue, they covered up the report and ignored the change.

Major Corporations do stupid things like this all the time at the advice of their lawyers. Trust me I know. In my day job I fill the role of minor accident adjuster here at our Ski/Golf Resort and I dread it when the lawyer calls with his "Advice". But that is the unfortunate way "business" runs.

[ptfd]

I still stand by my thought that if they are meeting and exceeding Federal Safety Standards in rear impact crashes, then the safety is no longer the manufactuers issue. Why are the cars being hit at high rates of speed? Start jailing the drucks and tired peole that are running into the cars and causing the fire in the first place. I that Ford has done more than I would do. I know it is PR, but you bought the car when you had the ability to find out what its testing standards are. It is now yours, if you are not happy about a part of it, modify it.

[LAFireParamedic]

CHP Camaro's

I think all the police should drive these =)

[Rescue101]

The biggest issue with the tanks is the two bolts just ahead of it.It might be worthy to note that there is a TSB for seat belt problems as well.The shields help by deflecting the energy around the tank and the afore mentioned bolts but if you think that they still can't catch fire,you would be sadly mistaken.Put the tanks anywhere you want but unless they're fuel cells;you hit the vehicle hard enough it will rupture.I've been repairing vehicles for over a quarter of a century,been involved with towing them a lot longer than that.You hit a 'burban with loaded semi,it will burn.Somebody else had a good idea,if a Public safety officer is rear ended cite the other driver and make the fine large enough to hurt.Or lift their license for a couple of years.Too many people today follow WAY too close.I've got about fifty of the results in the yard.T.C.

[NJFFSA16]

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (AP) - The family of a state trooper killed in
a rear-end collision last month filed a lawsuit Tuesday against
Ford Motor Co., charging that the location of his car's fuel tank
was partly responsible for it catching fire.
A man who Trooper Micheal Newton had pulled over, and was seated
in the car with Newton at the time of the collision and was
injured, filed a similar lawsuit.
The lawsuits, filed in Jackson County by Newton's family and
Michael Nolte of Leawood, Kan., are the latest in a series of
claims against Ford for its design of the Crown Victoria Police
Interceptor.
Ford spokeswoman Kristen Kinley said she couldn't comment on the
suits, but said the company stands behind its vehicle.
Kinley said the cars are not defective and claimed deaths
attributed to the fuel tank's location - between the rear axle and
rear bumper - are instead a result of the high speeds at which
patrol cars have been struck alongside highways.
"The issue is the really unique use of the vehicle," Kinley
said.
Newton, 25, was killed May 22 when his patrol car was struck by
a pickup truck towing a flatbed trailer on eastbound Interstate 70,
near Higginsville in western Missouri.
Passersby were able to pull Nolte from the car, but Newton was
pinned and burned to death after the crash.
Tom Jones, one of Nolte's attorneys, claimed in a release issued
Tuesday at least 15 law enforcement officers have died and at least
nine have been seriously injured since 1983 in crashes involving
Crown Victoria police cars.
J. Kent Emison, a lawyer for Newton's family, said the trooper
was the sole supporter of his 27-year-old wife and 5-year-old
child.
Both suits seek unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
Another defendant is the company that owned the pickup truck
that struck Newton's vehicle from behind. The suit says the driver
was careless and negligent.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[firemanpat29]

I just read an article last week about a Florida Highway
Patrol officer getting an award for Installing a Kevlar
trunk orginizer that is simple to install and easy to use
I dont know if he designed it or any details but the article
was in the Tallahassee Democrat. As for ffengine04

[NJFFSA16]

By LISA FALKENBERG
Associated Press Writer
DALLAS (AP) - Crash tests ordered by Dallas officials
investigating the safety of Ford Motor Co.'s Crown Victoria have
shown that a safety device Ford designed to address concerns with
fuel leakage after crashes actually makes the problem worse, the
city's attorney announced Tuesday.
Ford's attorney dismissed the results as preliminary.
A test conducted last week on a Crown Victoria equipped with a
plastic Trunk Pack - designed to keep sharp police equipment from
puncturing the fuel tank during a crash - resulted in a 7.6-gallon
fuel leakage, far more than the .3 gallons of leakage that resulted
from a similar test Ford conducted last year without the Trunk
Pack, said Dallas City Attorney Madeleine Johnson.
"It's gushing," Johnson said as she showed reporters a video
of the fuel tank she said had been ripped at the seam by impact of
the Trunk Pack hitting the fuel tank during the 75 mph crash.
"This tank essentially split like a watermelon."
Jeff Tillotson, the Dallas lawyer representing Ford, said the
company stands by the trademarked plastic drop-in box as a method
to decrease fuel tank punctures that can lead to explosions and
criticized Johnson for drawing conclusions from preliminary
results.
"It may be a faulty conclusion and then you're actually putting
police officers at risk," Tillotson said. "What troubles Ford is
that police officers might make life and death decisions on whether
or not to use the Trunk Pack on the basis of incomplete
information."
Johnson said she rushed to release the crash test results in
order to warn other law enforcement agencies against using the
Trunk Packs. While an analysis is still being conducted, she said
the results on the leakage that occurred using the Trunk Pack are
solid.
"I can assure you that's not going in one of our police cars,"
Johnson said of the Trunk Pack. "All three tests were conducted.
All three tests failed miserably."
Ford began direct mailing its fleet customers in June about the
device, part of an upgrade kit to ward against fuel tank punctures
that may lead to explosions after high-speed crashes in the
nation's most popular model police car. Tillotson said he did not
know how many agencies use the Trunk Pack.
Since 1983, more than a dozen officers have died in crashes when
their Crown Victoria's gas tank caught fire after being hit from
behind, including Dallas police Officer Patrick Metzler. Metzler
died Oct. 23 when his Crown Victoria cruiser was hit from behind
and burst into flames.
The automaker has denied the cars are dangerous, but initiated a
program of retrofitting older models with plastic shields designed
to better protect the gas tanks. Ford offers a kit that includes
the shields and Trunk Packs.
Dallas has a lawsuit pending against Ford in an effort to
determine whether the popular police cruiser is safe for law
enforcement.
Johnson said the crash tests were conducted by an independent
engineering firm and paid for out-of-pocket by attorneys
representing Dallas, a fact that led Ford's attorney to further
question the integrity of the findings.
"We're suspicious of any test conducted by plaintiff's lawyers
and announced at press conferences," Tillotson said.
Johnson said the city requested the tests in part because Dallas
officials learned Ford had not performed crash tests. Dallas
purchased 10 of the $250 Trunk Packs, but didn't want to use them
on any of the police department's 750 Crown Victorias until
officials were sure the devices were safe, she said.
"I just find it shocking that something that was supposed to be
a safety device was never tested," she said. She said Ford
declined to participate in Dallas' crash test.
Tillotson said Ford did some level of testing, though it may not
have been a crash test. He could not provide details. A call to
Ford seeking clarification on testing was not immediately returned
to The Associated Press.
Johnson said the Dallas tests were conducted using the same
procedures and specifications Ford uses. In the test that resulted
in 7.6 gallons of leakage with the Trunk Pack, no police equipment
was stored in the trunk, Johnson said. Two other tests using
routine police equipment in the trunks resulted in about 17 gallons
leakage, with and without the Trunk Pack.
Johnson sent a letter with the results of the crash test to
Ford's general Counsel and to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration.
"Ford has acted in a very irresponsible manner," Johnson said.
"This is a very significant safety issue and we're not going to
let it just die out."
Ford says more than 80 percent of police vehicles in North
America are Crown Victoria Police Interceptors.

---
Crown Victoria Police Interceptor: http://www.cvpi.com/

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

DETROIT (AP) - The nation's chief traffic safety official says
it would be difficult for any vehicle to withstand the high-speed
rear collisions that have caused deadly fuel tank fires in Ford
Motor Co.'s Crown Victoria police cruisers.
National Transportation Safety Administration chief Jeffrey
Runge that he stands by the safety of the Crown Victoria sedans,
which in May received the top safety rating from NHTSA in crash
tests.
Controversy and lawsuits continue to swirl around the cars,
which are in wide use by police nationwide.
Police agencies would have to pay more than $100,000 each for a
line of cars that never would suffer explosions during such
crashes, Runge told the Detroit Free Press for a story Thursday.
"The real question is: Are government agencies going to be
willing to invest in a special vehicle that's impervious to any
peril?" Runge said, adding that such a vehicle does not exist.
"But I'm sure that if they were willing to pay six-figure sums
for every vehicle, somebody would design one," he said.
During the past several years, more than a dozen officers across
the country have been killed by fuel tank fires after Crown
Victorias have been involved in high-speed rear end collisions.
Runge said speeds during some of those crashes have been so high
- upward of 70 mph - that NHTSA cannot realistically expect every
vehicle to withstand the impact.
The agency first investigated the Crown Victoria beginning in
November 2001, when police agencies reported fuel tank leaks and
fires after rear end crashes. The probe was closed in October after
NHTSA found the car met fuel-integrity standards. It also found the
risk of fire per fatal rear crash comparable to Chevrolet Caprice
police cars.
Runge said investigations into crashes since have not found
defects.
"I'm very confident that our defects investigation office did
more than due diligence," he said.
Ford spokeswoman Kristen Kinley said Runge's comment "just
validates what we've been saying all along," she said.
Ford has denied the cars are dangerous but last year retrofitted
the 350,000 Crown Victoria police cars on the road with plastic
fuel-tank shields. About 85 percent of all police departments and
state troopers use the vehicles.
But some police departments have said Ford's fixes are
inadequate and suggest that Ford use fuel tank bladders, reinforced
liners for fuel tanks. Ford has said the bladders leaked during its
durability tests.
---
On the Net:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov
Ford Motor Co., http://www.ford.com/

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[hwoods]

If I've followed this correctly, There have been a number of Police LODD's where the Police officer was in a Crown Vic that was struck by another vehicle, mostly rearended. As far as Fire personnel fatalities in Crown Vics, I haven't noticed any (if there was, I missed it. Sorry.) Has the light bulb come on yet? Police Officers, by the very nature of their work, find themselves sitting on the side of the road, or worse yet, IN the road, for periods of time. Highway patrol work is, by nature, lots and lots of hours of this activity, EVERY PAY PERIOD. By contrast, We respond to a call, and find ourselves out of, and usually away from, the car quickly. Chances are excellent that if someone hits a FD Car that is parked, there will not be any FD injuries, because the car is empty. But, just in case, we have disposed of our Crown Vic and replaced it with a '03 F150 4dr cab, 4X4, Pickup. This unit is being outfitted with a rollout command post desk and other items so it can function as our mobile command post. Stay Safe....

[NJFFSA16]

Excellent observation! I also, have not heard of any other incidents of Crown Victorias having similar fire related problems. Consider the thousands, if not millions of Crown Vic taxi cabs, and as you mention, staff vehicles of fire departments. Perhaps the problem does stem from the fact that these PD vehicles are more likely to be parked on the side of a highway...making them more vulnerable to rear collisions.

Good point!

On the Net:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov
Ford Motor Co., http://www.ford.com/

[DeputyChiefGonzo]

NJ and Hwoods...excellent points!

Ther was a crash that seriously injured a Massachusetts State Trooper on 7/26. Her Crown Victoria cruiser was in the breakdown lane of Route 25 (a limited access highway that goes from I-495 to the Cape Cod) in Wareham, with its warning lights on when it was struck from behind by a Volvo at an estimated 90 MPH by an 18 year old male who has been charged with DWI.

The car did not burst into flames; she suffered major head trauma when she impacted the steering wheel/dash/windshield area and was MedFlighted to Boston Medical Center.

Realistcally, nobody can build a vehicle that will withstand a very high speed crash from the rear, unless we want our police forces to drive in M1A1 Abrams tanks. On a lighter note, the Abrams' 105mm gun would be a crime and speed deterrent!

[NJFFSA16]

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) - Ford Motor Co. said Wednesday it
will begin offering fire-suppression technology on its Crown
Victoria police cars, which have been linked to numerous deaths in
rear-end collisions that caused gas-tank explosions.
Ford spokeswoman Carolyn Brown confirmed the new equipment would
be used but said details were being withheld until a news
conference Thursday in New York.
At an automotive seminar Wednesday in this resort city, Ford
president and chief operating officer Nick Scheele declined to
discuss the new technology.
About the Crown Victoria, Scheele told reporters, "It's a very
safe vehicle, but it's got some very difficult usage conditions."
Police unions and some political leaders have complained about
the safety record of the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, which
is used by about 85 percent of all police departments.
Since 1983, 14 officers have died in crashes when their Crown
Victoria's gas tank caught fire after being hit from behind.
Louisiana Attorney General Richard Ieyoub said in January that
he would consider filing a lawsuit against Ford unless it studied
and fixed alleged problems with the car.
Dallas police Officer Patrick Metzler died Oct. 23 when his
Crown Victoria cruiser was hit from behind and burst into flames.
In the past several years, the cars have been the subject of
numerous lawsuits and a federal investigation.
Although Ford denies the cars are dangerous, about a year ago
the company initiated a program of retrofitting older models with
plastic shields designed to better protect the gas tanks.
It is unclear if Ford will install the new fire-suppression
technology in Crown Victorias sold to the public.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has said the
car meets current federal standards that require a vehicle to
withstand a rear crash at 30 miles per hour without leaking fuel.
The agency also said the vehicle did not leak fuel during a test at
50 miles per hour, which the agency has proposed to be the new
standard.
Ford shares rose 13 cents to close at $10.65 in trading
Wednesday on the New York Stock Exchange.
---
On the Net:
Ford Motor Co.: http://www.ford.com

[NJFFSA16]

NEW YORK (AP) - Ford Motor Co. said Thursday it will offer
fire-suppression technology as an option on Crown Victoria police
cars, which have been linked to numerous deaths in rear-end
collisions that caused gas-tank explosions.
The technology will be available for vehicles in 2005. Police
cars on the road now cannot be retrofitted because the system uses
advanced electronics and onboard sensors that must be integrated
into a new computer system, Ford said.
About 85 percent of all police departments use Crown Victorias.
Since 1983, 14 officers have died in crashes when gas tanks
erupted in flames after Crown Victorias were hit from behind.
Critics say the behind-the-axle design of the tanks makes them
vulnerable. When the cars are struck, the tank can wrap around the
axle, be punctured by sharp bolts and explode.
The new technology will not be available to the public because
it's a sophisticated product designed for professional use, said
Susan Cischke, Ford vice president for environmental and safety
engineering.
Though Ford denies the cars are dangerous, the company about a
year ago introduced a program of fitting older models with plastic
shields to protect the gas tanks.
"We think the vehicles out there are safe. ... And the trunk
packs have been able to prevent sharp objects from puncturing the
vehicle," Cischke said.
Ford said it isn't introducing the optional technology in
response to lawsuits the company has been facing or because of any
design defects.
"We're doing this to make our vehicles safe and everything we
can to make them even safer," said Brenda Hines, a Ford
spokeswoman.
Safety expert Clarence Ditlow, executive director for the Center
for Auto Safety in Washington, D.C., was disappointed with Ford's
response.
"Today's officers need protection, not two years from now.
Safety should not be an option, it should be standard equipment,"
he said.
The company said it was too soon to say how much the option
would cost because it's still in development.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


By JANET PAK
Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK (AP) - Ford Motor Co. said Thursday it will offer
fire-supression technology as an option on Crown Victoria police
cars, which have been linked to numerous deaths in rear-end
collisions that caused gas-tank explosions.
The technology will be available for vehicles in 2005. Police
cars on the road now cannot be retrofitted because the system uses
advanced electronics and onboard sensors that must be integrated
into a new computer system, Ford said.
About 85 percent of all police departments use Crown Victorias.
Since 1983, 14 officers have died in crashes when gas tanks
erupted in flames after Crown Victorias were hit from behind.
Critics say the behind-the-axle design of the tanks makes them
vulnerable. When the cars are struck, the tank can wrap around the
axle, be punctured by sharp bolts and explode.
The new technology will not be available to the public because
it's a sophisticated product designed for professional use, said
Susan Cischke, Ford vice president for environmental and safety
engineering.
Though Ford denies the cars are dangerous, the company about a
year ago introduced a program of fitting older models with plastic
shields to protect the gas tanks.
"We think the vehicles out there are safe. ... And the trunk
packs have been able to prevent sharp objects from puncturing the
vehicle," Cischke said.
Ford said it isn't introducing the optional technology in
response to lawsuits the company has been facing or because of any
design defects.
"We're doing this to make our vehicles safe and everything we
can to make them even safer," said Brenda Hines, a Ford
spokeswoman.
Safety expert Clarence Ditlow, executive director for the Center
for Auto Safety in Washington, D.C., was disappointed with Ford's
response.
"Today's officers need protection, not two years from now.
Safety should not be an option, it should be standard equipment,"
he said.
The company said it was too soon to say how much the option
would cost because it's still in development.
---
On the Net:
Ford Motor Co.: http://www.ford.com

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)