Accident Reconstruction Network > News > September 2007

Accident Reconstruction News Article

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 starting in 2009 by demanding more protection for drivers and passengers in side-impact crashes.

The first ever National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requirement primarily aimed at reducing head injuries will force manufacturers to satisfy more aggressive crash test criteria than they had planned.

"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.

Automakers had hoped to satisfy regulators through their voluntary agreement in 2003 to beef up side-crash safety.

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

Side-impact crashes, such as when vehicles slide broadside 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. 

Detroit and overseas automakers, most of which lobbied hard for less stringent criteria, now face an estimated $560 million in yearly costs to meet the new standard.

Automakers' lead trade group, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, applauded NHTSA for its "thorough review and analysis" but touted the industry's voluntary agreement four years ago to provide head protection by 2009.

The group acknowledged that the NHTSA regulation could force some automakers to install enhanced air bag systems to better protect the body.

Side air bags were available in 84 percent of new vehicles in the 2006 model year, the alliance said. The technology was a standard feature in half those vehicles.

New test criteria will simulate side crashes into fixed objects like trees, for front-seat passengers. In addition, the agency reversed course and ordered a new test designed to protect rear-seated passengers in side crashes.

The rear seat test will involve a movable barrier, which is more forgiving. And, for the first time, NHTSA is mandating the use of crash dummies to simulate the size of a small woman.

"This ensures that head-protecting side air bags provide good protection for people of different sizes," said Russ Rader, a spokesman for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a trade group representing insurance companies.

###

Back to Accident Reconstruction News