PHOENIX — Motorists can’t use the failure of vehicle manufacturer to install an optional safety device to make up for their own negligence or the negligence of others behind the wheel, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.
The justices said there is a legal obligation of those who make and sell vehicles to ensure that their products allow them to obey traffic laws. That includes staying within marked lanes.
But Justice James Beene, writing for the unanimous court, said that doesn’t translate to a requirement to equip their vehicles with optional safety devices — particularly when they’re not actually necessary to ensure motorists can control their vehicles.
