NHTSA Says Auto Safety Warnings Working

<br>WASHINGTON (AP) _ The government's auto safety agency said Wednesday that data on deaths and injuries compiled in its new defect warning system will be made public despite attempts by tire manufacturers

Thursday, April 22nd 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) _ The government's auto safety agency said Wednesday that data on deaths and injuries compiled in its new defect warning system will be made public despite attempts by tire manufacturers and others to keep the information confidential.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been working on its defect warning system for four years. The system, designed to spot defects more quickly, covers warnings for any part of the vehicle, as well as tires and child seats.

Congress required NHTSA to develop the system because of the massive recall of Firestone tires, which exposed gaps in the safety information that manufacturers were providing the government.

NHTSA said it needed more data to spot defects, so the law required automakers, auto suppliers and child seat manufacturers to supply data on deaths, injuries, consumer complaints, warranty claims and other information.

Information is reviewed internally. According to NHTSA, the first action prompted by the new system came in February, when 490,000 Bridgestone/Firestone tires were recalled.

NHTSA expects to make information on deaths, injuries and property damage available to the public sometime this year. The agency agreed to keep warranty claims and consumer complaints confidential after automakers said releasing that data would be harmful because it would allow competitors to learn the components in each vehicle and how much they cost.

NHTSA dismissed manufacturers' attempts to limit some information, such as the states in which defect-related deaths are occurring.

Public Citizen, a Washington-based consumer group, sued NHTSA last month to get public access to all available information. They say that is the only way to ensure that companies are held accountable.

NHTSA says 334 companies so far have reported data since the system started last Dec. 1.

``There's more information now than there ever has been, more than consumers could possibly ever need or want,'' NHTSA spokesman Rae Tyson said.

Detroit attorney Daniel Malone, who has worked with automakers to comply with the regulations, says NHTSA has to strike a balance. Safety advocates say NHTSA can't be held accountable until the data is accessible.

``I'm here to tell you the system isn't working, and the reason it isn't working is that I can't get the data,'' said Randy Whitfield, a researcher has served as a witness for plaintiffs in several auto safety cases.