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 "auto deaths" ...
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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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Harvest of Death
The story investigated the disproportionately high number of auto fatalities and injuries caused by Hispanic drivers, most of them seasonal migrant workers, on Virginia's East Shore. Most of the accidents were alcohol related.
Tags: FOIA; seasonal migrant workers; driving under the influence; alcohol related accident; licence plate fraud; U.S. Route 13
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Ford Sudden Acceleration
This story examined Center for Auto Safety records and discovered 25,000 instances of sudden acceleration since the early 1980's. Ford vehicles were involved in almost one third of all incidents and were twice as likely as General Motors vehicles to have sudden acceleration problems. Fords were connected to 69 death caused by sudden acceleration accidents.
Tags: FOIA; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; Ford; cars; car safety; sudden acceleration; accidents
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A History of Fiery Deaths on the Road
A Los Angeles Times two -part series reports that "facing lawsuits, GM moved gas tanks of its C/K pickups inside the frame. But it denies the design was unsafe, and federal regulators retreated from a costly recall."
Tags: recall; pickups; automobiles; auto safety; GM; lawsuits; federal regulators; deaths; Fatal Accident Reporting System
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A Twist in Torts
Car companies are digging in against frivolous lawsuits regarding air bags. Since the government requires that the bags inflate in a fraction of a second, they can possibly injure people as well as save lives. The percentage of deaths or serious injury due to air bags is small compared to the number currently in use. Instead of settling quickly in lawsuits, the car companies are saying that, "cost is no object in these cases."
Tags: torts; tort reform; lawsuits; air bags; autos; cars; automobiles; vehicles; Chrysler; dodge; juries; General Motors; Ford; liability; law; legal
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Costly Verdict: Why One Jury Dealt A Big Blow to Chrysler in Minivan-Latch Case
The Journal reports on the threat of high-profile safety litigation looming over the auto industry. The story focuses on deaths caused by defects in Chrysler minivans, and the subsequent lawsuits.
Tags: fatalities; GM; Ford; federal safety standards; door latches; C/K pickup trucks; liftgates
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Deadly Driving: Safety Agency Puts Motorists at Risk
In an eight-month investigation, The Detroit News examined the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and found "the federal agency created 35 years ago to make vehicles safer is failing consumers, leading to at least 3,100 deaths and 18,000 injuries each year." The agency also fails to find defects in cars and trucks and fails to force recalls for repairs.
Tags: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; federal agencies; NHTSA; auto safety; automobile recalls; vehicle defects; auto-safety issues
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Young drivers are twice as likely to die with just one passenger and six times more likely to die with two or more passengers.
Auto accidents kill more than 40,000 people a year in the U.S. As many as 20 percent of them are teenagers. Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers, who are four times more likely to die in a car accident than all other age groups combined.
Tags: teenagers; accidents; kill; death; cars; driving; laws; drink
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Racing Safety
An Orlando Sentinel investigation reveals that the NASCAR auto racing league has made few safety changes to combat a recent spate of driver deaths from violent head injuries. A week after the Sentinel's initial series ran, NASCAR superstar Dale Earnhardt died of similar head injuries during the final lap of the Daytona 500. The Sentinel continued its investigation into NASCAR and its history of drivers dying from violent head injuries.
Tags: NASCAR; Dale Earnhardt; head injuries; auto racing; autopsy records; deaths; sports; safety; automobiles
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Death at the track: Racing's Human Toll
An Observer investigation found that at least 260 people (including children and spectators) across the United States died in auto racing since 1990. The study scrutinized the main reasons: fences and barriers fail regularly, potentially dangerous drivers are allowed to race, head and neck injuries killed at least half the drivers, and inadequate rescue measures. After conducting more than 400 interviews plus newspaper and Internet searches, the Observer documented 260 deaths in all levels of U.S auto racing - from premier Winston cup and Indy car events to dirt-track races. Most deaths occurred at the small tracks. An Observer survey of track officials showed that few speedways inspect more than basic safety items of the racing cars. The fragmentation of the racing world and its players' fears of lawsuits have hindered collaboration and unity that could raise the level of safety.
Tags: death; sports; drivers; spectators; road accidents; survivors; safety standards; NASCAR; CART (Championship Auto Racing team); IRL (Indy Racing League); ARCA (Automobile Racing Club of America); life insurance; Lowe's motor speedway; CAR