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Accident Reconstruction News Article Feds to Require Additional Minivan Door Latch The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has revised safety requirements to require sliding doors on minivans to have a second latch. The change is designed to prevent doors from opening during crashes so that unbelted motorists are not thrown out of the vehicle. People most as risk of being thrown through the open sliding door of a minivan in an accident are children, according to NHTSA. "Individuals with the greatest exposure to sliding door failures are children. Children sit in the back of vehicles in disproportionately high numbers," NHTSA's rule said. "We do not believe this exposure is acceptable." Manufacturers say the new rule -- takes effect Sept. 1, 2009 -- will require major structural modifications to B-pillars and doors. The final rule, NHTSA said, "essentially requires sliding doors to have two latches." Adding a second latch will cost an average of $7 per door at an annual cost of $8.4 million. More than 54,000 people are ejected each year from vehicles, according to NHTSA, with 15 percent thrown through doors. Regulators at NHTSA estimate the new rule will save seven lives each year and four injuries may be prevented or reduced in severity as the result or a passenger remaining inside the vehicle. In 2003, 1.4 million vans were sold with sliding doors. Almost half, 660,000 vans, do not meet the new standard. ### Back to Accident Reconstruction News
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