NHTSA hires Andersen to assess defect tracking system

WASHINGTON (Feb. 27)—The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is paying the audit firm Andersen $52,000 to assess the effectiveness of NHTSA's new software information management system for identifying auto and tire defect trends. Andersen won the contract after competitive bidding and interviews with agency officials, a spokesman said. Kenneth Mead, Transportation Department inspector general, recommended that a third-party auditor be called in because of concerns over the planning and management of the new system. Andersen made the news recently because of its admission that some of its employees shredded documents relating to audits of Enron Corp.