Justice is truly blind when it cannot see the simple facts. The two parties involved in the Matey v. Ford case presented relatively the same data. "The vehicle roof impacted into the tree, at around 12 to 14 m.p.h. The roof deformation was 17 to 22 inches into the front passenger compartment of the vehicle, injuring both driver and front passenger severely, and that the rear passenger in the back seat, where the roof did not crush was completely unharmed." These were the facts presented in court.
When asked to make a decision based on the facts, justice turned a blind eye. It said to all of us who drive a car, truck or mini-van that the amount of damage sustained to the roof by the impact into a 7-inch-diameter tree at a very low speed was acceptable. Even though, for over 20 years, the Ford Motor Co. had known of methods to ensure a stronger product at a nominal cost per vehicle, yet did nothing to make changes to its self-serving safety tests and marginal safety-standards, even the product line, and was not found at fault in the injuries received by the occupants of the vehicle from the roof giving way and collapsing in on them.
NASA has the highest safety standards to protect the lives of a handful of men and women. In fact, their safety is paramount, and cost is not an issue.
The auto industry (Ford) puts millions of people into vehicles each year. They also claim passenger safety is paramount, yet their safety standards are set at the minimum to save dollars, not lives.
If there is one thing I have learned from the case, it is that big business is looking out for themselves, and that justice, like life, is unfair.
Yes, my son made a mistake and lost control of his vehicle, but don't we trust in the cars we put our children into to be crash-worthy? Aren't we told by the automakers that theirs is built tough; theirs is the safest on the road? And we believe them because we want to, we need to feel that our children are safe.
The next time you sit in your car, look up and ask yourself, "Am I safe?"
Mark Lugullo,
Hailey
