[geeks] [9c1] MSN: "Are Crown Vics safe?" (fwd)

[Kris Kirby]

time to get a new car. I recommend the Caprice. ;-)

--
Kris Kirby, KE4AHR  <kris at nospam.catonic.net>  TGIFreeBSD IM: 'KrisBSD'
"Everytime my faith in humanity has been tested...humanity has failed."

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2002 21:00:43 -0500
From: James Hassinger <james at hassinger.com>
Reply-To: 9c1 at yahoogroups.com
To: 9c1 at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [9c1] MSN:  "Are Crown Vics safe?"

http://www.msnbc.com/news/782522.asp?pne=msn

Are cops facing danger in their cars?



  Some officers are losing faith after fire and accidents
July 18 -- The kind of car that makes up the vast majority of police
cruisers, the Ford Crown Victoria, may have a design flaw that causes fiery
explosions on rear impact. NBC's Jim Avila reports.


By Jim Avila
NBC NEWS
July 18   In a time of terrorism, as if this countrys police officers
didnt have enough to worry about, there are new allegations that the kind
of car that makes up the vast majority of police cruisers may have a
dangerous flaw.

         AN OFFICER in a serious accident in Arizona is in fact one of
three policemen in that state to die in four explosions, when their Ford
Crown Victorias were hit from behind at high speed.
        My primary fear used to be whether I was going to get shot or
stabbed when I came to work that day, says officer Bryan Chapman. Im
equally concerned now about when Im gonna burn to death in a Ford Crown Vic.
        Chapman patrols Phoenix in a Crown Victoria, just like 85 percent
of Americas cops. He had a narrow escape. He wasnt riding with his
partner and friend, Jason Schecterle, on the night their squad car was
rammed from behind.
        Officer Kevin Chadwick witnessed the accident.
        I couldnt believe it, says Chadwick. There was actually someone
still inside the car.
        Trapped amidst the burning gasoline, Schecterle suffered severe
burns. His face is now under reconstruction and he has become the catalyst
for police officers who want changes made to their cruisers.

HERE TO BE A VOICE
        Hes here to be a voice for all of those individuals that
unfortunately have perished in those fires, says his wife, Suzie
Schecterle.
  Advertisement




          A half million Crown Vics have been sold to police departments
over the last 20 years. Two and a half million civilian cars, including
huge fleets of taxis, are also on the road. But now the Phoenix Police
Department wont take delivery on any more, and the National Highway Safety
Administration is investigating nine fiery crashes that killed nine
officers. Thirty deaths, including those of civilians, occurred in the cars.
        The Crown Vic is popular with police because it has a big, fast V-8
engine and sofa-like seats for eight-hour shifts, and its backseat has
plenty of room for suspects. But critics say its fuel tank is located
behind the axle, where it can be easily crushed.
        We know the tank is in a bad location, says Clarence Ditlow,
executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, a consumer watchdog
group. We know that there are objects puncturing the tank in rear-speed
crashes that are survivable. What we need to do is to recall that vehicle.
        In Taylor, Texas, Cpl. Alan Neel agrees. He barely escaped death
when his car exploded after being rear-ended.

WILL NEVER FORGET
        Upon impact, my patrol unit immediately burst into flames, says
Neel. Its something a person will never forget.
        Ford did send a service bulletin to dealers suggesting
modifications, and issued a statement to NBC News, calling the Crown
Victoria a safe and effective vehicle for police work, citing a favorable
accident and fire record. The company says it is unaware of any
technologies that can prevent fires in crashes at 70 to 100 miles per hour.
        Ford did promise the Arizona Attorney Generals office it would
test fuel-tank bladders and shielding to further improve the Crown Victoria.
        Americas police officers, losing confidence in their beloved Crown
Victoria, are looking for a squad car that makes an already hazardous job
less explosive.



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