Hitch ‘em up, folks, cause here we go again.
Ford Explorer. High speeds on I-95 in Florida. This past Saturday.
Eleven people – 10 were children ages 5 to 15 – jammed into a SUV meant for seven people max. Only two people wearing a seatbelt.
Church outing. Driving from Orlando to Jacksonville.
Mismatched set of tires (three different brands), including a nearly bald tire – 1/32nds inch of tread remaining, according to police.
Tire blows out. Explorer slams into guardrail and rolls multiple times. Numerous passengers ejected.
One six-year-old boy killed. Eight others with serious injuries.
Just how long do you think it will take for the tire producer and servicing dealer to get sued?
I give it less than a month.
Meanwhile, we still have wholly inadequate state vehicle inspection systems and tire tread depth laws. We have vehicle owners who refuse to take responsibility for proper tire care. We have no full-scale and consistent consumer education program. We lack leadership, but have plenty of naysayers.
Hey, let’s just keep writing those checks to lawyers and plaintiffs. It has to be cheaper than actually tackling these problems, doesn’t it?
