The document discusses the Ford Pinto, which had a design flaw in its gas tank that caused it to rupture in crashes over 25 mph. Ford calculated that it would cost $137 million to fix the flaw but that not doing so and paying legal costs if people were killed or injured would only amount to $49 million. They decided not to recall the cars, implicitly valuing human lives and safety lower than costs. The document raises questions about who has the right to determine the value of human life and whether Ford's decision was ethical.

1. Reverence for Life
Year 10 Cath Tech

3. Who would put a value
on human life?

4. We want you to.

5. We want you to.
• Give a value that you think that you are
worth.

6. We want you to.
• Give a value that you think that you are
worth.
• What about your grandparents?

7. We want you to.
• Give a value that you think that you are
worth.
• What about your grandparents?
• Parents?

8. We want you to.
• Give a value that you think that you are
worth.
• What about your grandparents?
• Parents?
• Rank the amounts, from top to
bottom....which is more valuable? Which is
least?

9. We want you to.
• Give a value that you think that you are
worth.
• What about your grandparents?
• Parents?
• Rank the amounts, from top to
bottom....which is more valuable? Which is
least?
• Why?

10. Who would do this?

11. • The Ford Pinto was invented in the late
1960‘s. "The Pinto was not to weigh an
ounce over 2,000 pounds and not cost a
cent over $2,000."

12. • During design and production, however,
crash tests revealed a serious defect in the
gas tank. In crashes over 25 miles per hour,
the gas tank always ruptured. To correct it
would have required changing and
strengthening the design.

13. • That is, if the car crashed going faster than
50km per hour (in Australia, that’s the
speed limit in suburban areas, you were
guarenteed (100% of the time) to have the
tank rupture

15. • If you were travelling over 50 miles per
hour (ie, on the motorway) and crashed, a
manufacturing fault would see a pretty
good chance of having all the doors jam
shut while the gas tank ruptures

16. • Essentially, you would be trapped inside a
burning car if you crashed on the
motorway....any crash.

17. "Safety doesn't sell."
Lido Anthony "Lee" Iacocca Ford engineer

18. • Ford argued that it was cheaper to not
recall the product.

19. • The total cost at the time was $11 per car.

20. • Ford calculated that if 180 people died, and
180 people had serious burn injuries, the
cost of payouts in court would be about
$49 million dollars

21. • The cost of the recall was $137 million
dollars (at $11 per car)

22. • They decided NOT to recall the product

23. • Was this decision right?
• Who gets to decide the value of a human
life?