WASHINGTON, Dec. 7, 2000 -- The death toll from Firestone AT, ATX and Wilderness tires has officially reached 148, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported. The latest update includes four fatalities that have occurred since the recall of millions of Firestone tires.
Five of the deaths involved Firestone tires that are being investigated but that have not yet been added to the recall.
Most of the accidents and deaths involved Ford Explorers. NHTSA is still investigating the cause of the tire failures. Ford contends the tires are defective; Bridgestone/Firestone has suggested there may be design problems with the Explorer.
So far a total of 6.5 million tires have been recalled but only 5.6 million have been turned in by consumers. There are reports that some motorists -- especially those in colder climates -- are trying to get as much mileage as possible out of their tires before turning them in for a new set.
Government safety officials expressed frustration at those reports and said that even though most of the tire failures have occurred in warm-weather conditions, consumers should not take chances with their safety.
Besides the tires officially recalled, Firestone has agreed to replace another 1.4 million similar models, but only if consumers request it.
