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To: Chisy who wrote (6700)	9/14/2000 11:00:41 AM
From: Chisy	Respond to of 13094

SMTR's charts shaping up nicely. Hope I shouldn't be selling on news. (Disclaimer: I am long.) COMTEX) B: New Tire Safety Bill Introduced B: New Tire Safety Bill Introduced WASHINGTON, Sep 14, 2000 (AP Online via COMTEX) -- A bill aimed at improving auto and tire safety was introduced in the House on Wednesday by lawmakers who hope that passions ignited by the Firestone tire case will drive it through Congress at breakneck speed. The TREAD Act - for Transportation Reporting Enhancement, Accountability and Documentation - seeks to improve consumer protection and communication between auto and tire manufacturers and the federal government. It will increase the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's authority to collect information about possibly defective products and expand its budget for investigations. "Clearly, NHTSA and others were asleep at the wheel, and we are looking to move bipartisan legislation in the fast lane to correct it," said Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., the bill's sponsor. The congressional session ends in less than in a month, and the bill faces long odds of making it through a crowded legislative agenda. Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-La., said although the investigation of tires linked to 88 deaths is not complete, the three congressional hearings held in the last two weeks on the matter have highlighted some of the problems that prevented an earlier recall. "Before we leave this session there will be people probably who will have lost their lives because this recall is not finished," Tauzin said. "So the imperative for Congress is to get this done now while we can while this awful incident is so fresh and so real in everybody's minds." Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. recalled 6.5 million ATX, ATX II and Wilderness AT tires on Aug. 9, but many tire owners have to wait as the company tries to produce enough replacements. The Wall Street Journal reported in Thursday editions that at least five highway deaths involving Firestone tires and Ford Explorer sport utility vehicles have occurred since the recall began. Those deaths are in addition to the 88 over the past decade already under investigation, the newspaper said. Tauzin said he and Upton will coordinate the legislation with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who plans to introduce a bill in the Senate next week to address the case. Upton's bill requires auto and tire manufacturers to report any defects on American tires or automobiles sold in foreign countries. Ford Motor Co. recalled the tires on its vehicles in 16 foreign countries without telling U.S. officials. "What this bill tries to do is to make sure that even if a company isn't going to do the right thing on their own, that the federal government has the tools to force them to do the right thing," said Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M. "And I think it's kind of sad that we've come to that point." The legislation also would require tire manufactures to periodically report claims data to NHTSA, increase the time under which tire manufactures must make free repairs on faulty products, increases penalties for violations and directs NHTSA to update its tire safety standard. It also calls for an additional $500,000 for NHTSA investigators to handle the increased work load. Separately, Ford said Thursday it was investigating six reports from Saudi Arabia about problems involving Continental tires on Lincoln Navigators. Ford received two reports of tire separations this year and four last year, spokesman Mike Vaughn said. He said conditions in Saudi Arabia - hot temperatures and a tendency to drive with underinflated tires - might have played a role. Daryl Hollnagel, corporate secretary and member of the executive committee of Continental General Tire, told USA Today that Continental engineers are examining the tires with Ford. "What's transpiring here is a result of the Firestone situation," he said. "It's unfortunate, but we accept (that Ford officials) are looking hard" at all reports now. --- Bridgestone/Firestone: bridgestone-firestone.com Ford Motor Co.: ford.com National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: nhtsa.gov By NEDRA PICKLER Associated Press Writer Copyright 2000 Associated Press, All rights reserved -0- APO Priority=r APO Category=1310 KEYWORD: WASHINGTON SUBJECT CODE