'Roof crush' data may go public

Despite its efforts to the contrary, internal Ford documents discussing roof strength may go public, reports the Detroit News. The documents show Volvo engineers determined that roof strength is a key factor in passenger safety in rollover accidents, while Ford has taken the opposite view in court cases. Ford and other automakers are facing hundreds of lawsuits stemming from rollover accidents where vehicle roofs caved in. "If the public was aware of the difference in positions between Ford and Volvo as it relates to safety, it would not be good PR," said attorney Bob Tyler, who is representing the family of Christine Glaeser, who died in a 2000 rollover. "The roof crush standard is under review and there are proponets trying to get the federal government to make it a tougher standard to keep people better protected -- and these documents could help make the case."