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Pinto Case Study: The Ford Motor Company

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A professional engineer should always consider the public’s safety and welfare when performing engineering work. It is imperative for an engineer to be a professional because their work can affect the lives of many people. The Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) implemented rules to keep the public interest and trust. A document from the PEO states that “… rules are developed in response to the public’s reliance on professional engineers to ensure that the infrastructure, technology and consumer products on which society depends are both safe and do not negatively affect our way of life.” [1] Thus, a professional engineer that is licenced by the PEO should view public safety and welfare as of great importance and make sure that their work …show more content…

Registrants shall uphold the values of truth, honesty and trustworthiness and safeguard human life and welfare and the environment.” [5] Professional engineers are expected to follow the code of ethics but in real life it does not always happen. The Ford Pinto case in the 1970s was an example of when the company Ford decided that their own benefit is of more importance than safety. In section 4 of the pinto case “The Ford Motor Company's use of the risk/benefit analysis was the central issue of the suits filed against the company. Many pieces of evidence, including a number of internal Ford documents indicate the risk/benefit analysis was the main reason for Ford's decision not to make design changes to increase vehicle safety.” [6] Ford knew about the questionable design for the Pinto but still went ahead with the product and put public safety aside. Ford had analyzed that they could have saved lives by using a new design stated in this text: “the new design would result in 180 less deaths” [6] Ford decided that “the cost would have been $137 million versus the $49.5 million price tag put on the deaths, injuries, and car damages, and thus Ford felt justified not implementing the design change.“ [6] Ford in this case of the Pinto design did not follow the code of ethics and due to this it led to the deaths of other people. These are the implications that could happen if an engineer does not put the public safety and welfare first, which is why engineers are obligated to follow rules and keep public

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