The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "automobile safety" ...
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Runaway Toyotas
Toyota has recently been in the news following “hundreds of owners having their vehicles suddenly accelerating out of control”. The investigation revealed “over two thousand cases of runaway Toyotas and Lexus cars, including reports of 200 accidents and 16 deaths”. Toyota blamed many of these accidents on the floor mat becoming stuck under the gas pedal and this was the cause of the acceleration.
Tags: automobiles; electronic computer system; safety; highway; drivers; manufacturers; transportation
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Company's Choice Made Cars Less Safe
General Motors removed the side airbags, at request of fleet customers, from the standard package Impalas to save money for these fleet customers. In doing so, they risked the safety of thousands of people. Enterprise Rent-A-Car was one of these fleet customers, who bought “65,000 vehicles” knowing that the airbags had been removed. Enterprise not only rented these out, but also sold them online using false advertising. After this was revealed, Enterprise and many car dealerships issued apologies and bought back these vehicles above book value.
Tags: automobiles; cars; Chevy; used cars; safety feature; consumers; transportation; restraint system; build sheet; auto safety
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Jeep Grand Cherokee Investigation
Currently, there are “three million Jeep Grand Cherokees on the road today”. Furthermore, they have been involved in “hundreds of fatal fire accidents in the past 11 years”. The investigation revealed a flaw in the vehicle; the fuel tank is located in the rear of the vehicle. This flaw is the main cause of these fatal deaths. After these accidents had occurred, the automaker has relocated the gas tank in a more secure location and since then zero accidents have occurred.
Tags: Chrysler; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; SUVs; consumers; automobiles; crash; damage; defect; auto safety; transportation
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Brian Ross Investigates: Tires-Cracking the Code
This report investigates the little-known hazard of the road - aged tires that have exceeded their shelf life. Most motorists only look at the depth of a tire's tread to determine if it is safe enough to use. However, our investigation revealed that as tires get older, even if they've never been driven a mile, they can dry out, and after six years of age, can become dangerous. Experts say aged tires have led to numerous fatalities, yet motorists have been kept in the dark about the issue.
Tags: tires; public safety; car care; automobile; tire industry; tread separation
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Fatal Failures
"The Star was the first newspaper to discover the extent of the problem of airbags not deploying in frontal crashes. The newspaper also found that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was doing little to protect the public."
Tags: airbags; transportation; automobile safety; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Fuel Economy: Why You're Not Getting the MPG You Expect
U.S. government fuel economy ratings data significantly mislead consumers about the miles-per-gallon they can realistically expect to get from specific new cars and trucks. This is due to flawed and outdated testing methodology, procedures and loopholes used by the EPA, the NHTSA, and automakers.
Tags: cars; automobiles; environment; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; Environmental Protection Agency; mileage; gas; fuel economy; mpg
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Ford Fires
This investigation discovered that millions of Ford vehicles contained a combustion-prone part that has caused hundreds of fires, including some fatal ones, and it revealed which models had the part. Ford issued a recall of certain models one month after the story aired.
Tags: automobile safety; cars; fire; Ford; accidents
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The Pull of Chance
A casual lunch with the county medical examiner leads this reporter to do a story on automobile safety. The reporter based on her conversation investigated a major glitch in seat belt mechanism. She found that in case of accidents, in some models of cars, the seat belt gets hooked with the seat lever throwing the person out of the vehicle through the rear.
Tags: automobile safety; automobiles; seat belts; wearing seat belts; accidents; paralysis due to automobile accident; safety in cars; seat lever
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Danger overhead: Crushed roofs
This investigation found that Detroit's Big Three automakers have fought costly upgrades to a 33-year-old roof strength standard despite the estimated 7,000 people killed each year in rollovers in which the roof was crushed. Automotive engineers are aware that strong roofs save lives, and the company's own European operations build and test stronger roofs, yet the Big Three continue to fight attempts to require stronger minimum standards in the United States.
Tags: autos; cars; automobile safety; rollovers; Big Three; automakers; SUVs; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; NHTSA
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The Crown Victoria - A Free Press Investigation
This investigation found that more people have died in car accidents involving the Ford Crown Victoria (the country's most popular police cruiser) than the federal government disclosed when it cleared the vehicles of any manufacturing defects. This is because the basic structure of the car has remained unchanged, while most other models have had their gas tanks relocated to safer locations. In 2002, Ford made changes, but only after substantially more police officers had died.
Tags: police; automobiles; traffic safety; accidents; wrecks