Ford Escape Hybrids Prone To Rollover Accidents, Expert Says
The 2008 Ford Escape Hybrids, used as taxis in New York City, are “unsafe” because collisions and rollover accidents involving these vehicles often end with the driver being hospitalized and a total loss of the vehicle, according to this news report. The report was based on a study by noted automotive engineer, C. Bruce Gambardella, who looked into several accidents, including one serious New York City rollover accident. The Taxi and Limousine Commission requested the study after reports of an increasing number of hybrid taxi rollovers.
The Ford Escape Hybrid apparently received only a three-star rollover resistance rating from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) when compared with another more popular taxi model, the Crown Victoria, which received a five-star rating. This is a tough challenge for New York taxi owners and drivers because they face a possible city-wide hybrid taxi mandate that was scheduled to go into effect this month. This mandate would essentially get rid of the Crown Victoria taxicabs and require taxi owners to drive vehicles such as the Ford Escape.
Gambardella, who has worked as an auto accident reconstruction expert for the last 26 years, spoke before the New York City Council and said that the Ford Escape Hybrid is more likely to roll over than the Ford Crown Victoria. Gambardella said this fact is due to the Escape having a higher center of gravity and is only made worse by poor road conditions in New York City.
With skyrocketing gas prices, these Ford Escape hybrids have become extremely common in California as well. This report is deeply disturbing because regular motorists in California, who use the Ford Escape for normal transportation, are in the same danger as these New York City taxi drivers.
How many consumers who own these hybrids know about its poor rating in rollover crashes? The inherent design defect, much like other Ford sport utility vehicles models such as the Explorer, Excursion and Expedition, makes these vehicles prone to rollover accidents. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2006, more than 10,000 people died in rollover accidents. Most Ford vehicles also have poor roof strength, which causes occupants to suffer severe head and spinal cord injuries when the roof caves in during a rollover.
If you or someone you know has been seriously injured as a result of a Ford Focus hybrid accident, I’d certainly like to hear about it.
