Accident Reconstruction Network > News > September 2007

Accident Reconstruction News Article

US requires new protection in side-impact crashes

WASHINGTON, Sept 5 (Reuters) - The U.S. government on Wednesday effectively ordered auto manufacturers to install the most advanced head and side air bags in new vehicles beginning in 2009 to provide more protection for drivers and passengers in side-impact crashes.

The first ever National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requirement aimed at reducing head injuries will force manufacturers to meet aggressive crash test criteria that could render unacceptable some side air bag systems that have been installed voluntarily in recent years.

In addition, the agency's decision to reverse course from an earlier proposal and mandate a test requirement for rear side safety will protect older children and elderly passengers, who more often ride in the back seat, safety experts said.

"With these rigorous new requirements, we are building on the strength of innovative and life-saving side impact technologies that are already available to many new car buyers," NHTSA administrator Nicole Nason said.

Side-impact crashes, including when vehicles slide sideways into trees and utility poles, account for more than 9,000 U.S. auto deaths a year, or about a quarter of the total. Most victims of such crashes suffer brain injury, officials said.

The new safety requirement, to be mostly phased in between 2009 and 2012, is expected to save more than 300 lives annually and prevent nearly 400 serious injuries, the NHTSA estimated.

The move is mixed news for Detroit and overseas automakers, who lobbied hard for less stringent criteria and now face an estimated $560 million in yearly costs to meet the new standard.

Although regulators did not specify how the change should be met, it is widely expected that manufacturers will have to install advanced airbags that drop from the roof rails, like a curtain, and expand from the door or the seat.

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