Sen. Charles Schumer says the federal government should investigate whether faulty guardrails have been installed along upstate New York roadways.

The Democrat wrote to the Federal Highway Administration Monday asking for a review of where the guardrails are so they can be quickly replaced.

Trinity Industries Inc. stopped shipments of its ET-Plus guardrails after a Texas jury ordered it to pay at least $175 million for misleading regulators. A whistleblower says the company changed the guardrails’ design but didn’t inform regulators for several years.

Schumer says there are likely thousands of the guardrails in upstate New York. He says that instead of reducing the impact of a crash, the guardrails can pierce a vehicle and injure its occupants.

Trinity Industries didn’t initially respond to a message seeking comment.

(AP)