Statement By John Lampe, Chairman, CEO And President Bridgestone/Firestone Inc.

    NASHVILLE, Tenn.--May 22, 2001--Statement By John Lampe, chairman, CEO and president Bridgestone/Firestone Inc.: "No one cares more about the safety of the people who travel on our tires than we do. Our tires are safe. When we have a problem, we admit it and we fix it. We've proven that.
    "The real issue here is the safety of the Explorer. Ford refused to look at issues surrounding the Explorer in August. Ford failed to do that today.
    "We stand by our tires and look forward to the opportunity to show Congress, NHTSA and the American public why our tires are safe and that there are significant safety concerns with the Ford Explorer."