Ethics in Engineering: Ford Crown Victoria Interceptor - Essay Example

Though there was no abnormality in this setup, engineers should reposition the fuel tank for the police vehicles to minimize these accidents. The design for fuel-tank in the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (CVPI) was all right according to federal safety standards (Fleddermann, 2011). However, CVPI had failed to take precautions necessary for minimizing the risk of explosion of the fuel tank in case the vehicle was smashed from behind. Ford should have positioned the tank far from the axle bolt because it is responsible for causing damage to the tank when the car experiences a rear smash (Lieu & Sorby, 2009).

Ford should also have distanced the fuel tank away from the crash region. These precautions are essential in police vehicles because of they're prone to such incidences since they are usually parked a short distance from the road. The design for the fuel tank in CVPI failed to meet acceptable engineering standards (Fleddermann, 2011). This is because engineers have a duty to ensure safety for their clients and the general public. Engineers should exercise their professional skills and ethics when discharging their duties.

Therefore, since the engineers knew the use of the police vehicles and the risk they were exposed to in case of rear smash, they should have taken preventative measures to minimize such risks. Engineers have an obligation to conform to the existing states laws, professional principles and exercise their skills to the best of their ability to discharge their duties safely and successfully (Pahl, Wallace & Blessing, 2007). Therefore, it was vital that the designers obeyed federal regulations during discharge of their roles.

The CVPI vehicles for use by police were supposed to be redesigned by placing the gas-tank some distance from the axle to minimize the risk of damage to the tank.