Auto Designers and Responsibility

Re: “A History of Fiery Deaths on the Road” [April 29] and “Engineer’s Memo Returns to Haunt GM” [April 30]. I don’t think any of my professors at the UCLA Engineering School ever said directly, “And remember, don’t do anything that unnecessarily endangers human life.” That was implicit in an engineering education at the time. As a practicing engineer for more than 40 years, I find it hard to believe that Mr. Ivey and his bosses acted as they did. As a lawyer, I find the behavior of GM’s attorneys at least as bad.

Of course automobiles cannot be made perfectly safe; of course costs affect design decisions; and of course a great deal of responsibility for driving safety rests squarely upon the shoulders of the driver of the vehicle.

Nevertheless, auto designers must take responsibility themselves for clearly bad design attributes such as placement of fuel tanks where they are easily subject to being burst in a collision.

Paul R. Cooley

Culver City