COLUMBIA, TN - The Maury County (Tenn.) Sheriff´s Department is making an effort to retire its older vehicles to prevent the type of tragedies that have occurred in the past, according to the Tennessean newspaper. Some vehicles in the fleet have between 150,000 and 200,000 miles. A high-mileage sheriff´s patrol car threw a tie rod and went out of control in 1992. An oncoming vehicle was hit and a college student was killed in the accident. County commissioners have been reluctant to approve the funds for new vehicles due to tight budget constraints. Funds must be shared between law enforcement, schools, roads, and building projects. The mechanical problems that begin to appear in high-mileage vehicles are compounded in police cars due to their high rates of speed, often on bumpy, uneven surfaces. A spokeswoman for the Tennessee Sheriffs Association told the Tennessean that high-mileage patrol cars will be addressed at the next meeting.