– Ngaphezulu kwesiqingatha selizwe, amazwe angama-30, ngoku abhengeze ukuba aza kuyimisa eminye imisebenzi yokufaka inkqubo yokukhusela izithuthi ezingxoxweni kwiindlela kulo lonke ilizwe, emva kokuba abagxeki besithi yayikukugquma utshintsho oluyingozi kuyilo lokukhusela izithuthi oluye lwabangela phantse iminyaka elishumi elinesibini eyadlulayo.
Ijaji laseTexas lifumanise ekuqaleni kwale nyanga ukuba umenzi we-guardrail iTrinity Industries wakhohlisa urhulumente ngokwenza utshintsho ngo-2005 ngaphandle kokwazisa amagosa ezothutho karhulumente okanye aseburhulumenteni, kwaye amazwe amaninzi abhengeze ukumiswa kwe-ET-Plus guardrails entsha. Emva koko iTrinity yayalelwa ukuba ihlawule malunga ne-$175 yezigidi ngomonakalo - imali ekulindeleke ukuba iphindwe kathathu phantsi kwegunya elisemthethweni.
Amazwe angamashumi amathathu athe awasayi kuphinda afake inkqubo ye-ET-Plus, kwaye amanye awongeziweyo kutshanje yiKentucky, Tennessee, Kansas, Georgia kunye nelizwe laseTexas eliyikhaya leTrinity. Ilizwe laseVirginia lithe kwiveki ephelileyo lisebenza kwizicwangciso zokususa imisele yokukhusela kwiindlela ezinkulu, kodwa liza kuqwalasela ukuzishiya endaweni yazo ukuba iTrinity ingangqina ukuba iinguqulelo eziguquliweyo zikhuselekile.
Inkqubo ye-ET-Plus yayiyeyona nto iphambili kuphando lwe-ABC News “20/20” ngoSeptemba, olwalujonga amabango amaxhoba engozi yokuba iireyili ezilungisiweyo aziyi kuphumelela xa zitshayiswa yimoto ngaphambili. Endaweni yokuqhekeka nokufunxa impembelelo njengoko yayicwangcisiwe, ireyili “iyavaleka” ize ingene ngqo emotweni, kwezinye iimeko inqumle amalungu omqhubi.
Ngokwe-imeyile yangaphakathi efunyenwe yi-ABC News, igosa lenkampani liqikelele ukuba utshintsho oluthile - ukunciphisa iqhekeza lesinyithi ekupheleni kwereyili ukusuka kwi-intshi ezi-5 ukuya kwi-intshi ezi-4 - kuya konga inkampani i-$2 ngereyili nganye, okanye i-$50,000 ngonyaka.
I-Federal Highway Administration inike iTrinity kude kube ngumhla wama-31 ku-Okthobha ukuba ingenise izicwangciso zokuvavanya i-guardrails okanye ijongane nezicwangciso zokumisa ukuthengiswa kwayo kuzwelonke. Amanye amazwe angama-28 athi ukuvalwa kwe-ET-Plus kuyasebenza ubuncinane de kufumaneke iziphumo zovavanyo lwe-crash.
ITrinity ibisoloko isithi ii-guardrails zikhuselekile, iphawula ukuba i-FHWA ivumile ukusetyenziswa kwee-guardrails ezihlaziyiweyo ngo-2012 emva kokuphakamisa imibuzo malunga notshintsho. Le nkampani iceba ukubhenela kwisigqibo saseTexas, emva kokuba ixelele i-ABC News ukuba "inentembelo ephezulu" ekusebenzeni nasekugqibeleleni kwenkqubo ye-ET-Plus.