Long ago, I worked in the seatbelt/safetyharness industry. I learned that the
media and self-promoting "Authorities and Agencies" will do anything for
attention. They will twist, stretch, and fabricate to make a headline. It
sells advertising. It keeps names current, and it funds so-called safety
groups. Insurance fascists thrive on this crap. Safety tip: stay home?
I have not seen the piece referred to. Perhaps it is right on and accurate,
but I sure doubt it. Please take what I say as possibly just as off-base as
the program referred to. Bear in mind the Audi Unintended Acceleration, The GM
pickup Fuel Tank scam, the Flipping Gremlin, the Mercedes vs Moose-dodging
test, and the Firestone/Ford Explorer fiasco.
Lets talk about the Firestone/Ford thing. Yes real people have died in these
crashes - a terrible shame. One death is too many. Yes Ford was stupid to
specify low tire pressures etc. How many would have died if they knew how to
respond to a blowout? The recent Car & Driver article spells it out pretty
well. I place more blame on our driver education system.
If you have a blowout, your first priority must be to manage the stability of
the vehicle as you gradually slow, under control. It has become unbalanced
and the tires must be allowed to do their work of holding you on the road -
demand too much braking you divert them, losing control, and sure you'll lose
it. LBC folk know these things, right?
Our lap belts (Tulareloft/Hickok) were tested by a leading consumer magazine.
Because we chose to sew our labels on all four sides instead of like a tag,
the labels would start to tear as the nylon webbing stretched in dynamic
tests. The magazine called this incipient failure and downgraded out product.
Utter hogwash, but it sells.
Be an intelligent consumer of information. Do not trust 20-20 or 48 Hours,
Consumer Digest, or the Feds or the Insurance Institute For Traffic Safety.
Examine the data and think and check it out. Oh how those jerks must weep
when they find the death rate goes down where the speed limit goes up!
David McCartney
(running Bridgestones and not planning to change)
71 MG Midget
72Mini PU
69AA
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