For years, federal traffic safety officials reported that there were around 200 deaths a year in the country from tire-related crashes. Then, in 2015, that number jumped to more than 700.

Recent reporting from news organization FairWarning shows that officials at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had quietly altered the way they report crash data that year, which means they've used those lower numbers in previous years to justify low tire safety standards. FairWarning is nonprofit based in Southern California that focuses on public health, consumer and environmental issues 

The Show spoke with FairWarning reporter Eli Wolfe.

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