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-safety issues" ...
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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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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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Rollover
Dateline investigated "one of this year's most controversial auto safety issues, revealing vital new information about the risk of deadly rollover accidents in sport utility vehicles. By researching historical records and personal accounts of auto industry insiders, Dateline documented that auto experts had serious concerns decades ago about the high risk of SUV rollovers."
Tags: TAPE; TRANSCRIPT; automobiles; sport utility vehicles; SUV; rollovers; safety; CAR; FARS
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Asleep at the Wheel: The Government Auto Safety Breakdown
In a series of news and investigative stories the Los Angeles Times "focused on how the deceptions by auto and tire companies coupled with the ineffectiveness of the nation's auto safety regulators..." Some of the major findings included that "State Farm insurance company had notified federal regulators about problems with Firestone tires as far back as 1998, but got no response" and that "Ford Motor C. was aware of instability problems with its Explorer SUV...but twice had declined to make design changes...". Reporters found out that " tires made by Goodyear had been experiencing similar problems to the Firestones and had been linked to several fatal crashes". Some of the stories questioned the companies' practice to keep "knowledge of unsafe products out of public eye". The series raised questions about the efficiency of federal government on safety issues. It pointed out that "the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had been thwarted for over two decades from setting or updating auto safety standards because of industry pressure and lack of funding and political support from Congress."
Tags: Firestone; automobiles; highways; tires. lawsuits; the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; accidents; fatalities; Ford; Goodyear; State Farm Insurance; Continental General Tire Inc.; General Motors; Suzuki; Venezuela; Saudi Arabia; FARS; NHTSA
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Perjury and Obstruction of Justice?
CBS News 60 Minutes reported "about the important legal battles between General Motors and plaintiffs in post-collision, fuel-fed fire cases. Through the case of McGee vs. General Motors, we explored the issues of attorney-client privilege, perjury and obstruction of justice."