Widespread Support for Stronger Side Impact Regulations
New government regulations will require all vehicle manufacturers to offer greater passenger protection in some of the most dangerous types of crashes seen on American roadways. According to a new study, these new guidelines are being welcomed by drivers.
A new poll conducted by BuyingAdvice.com shows widespread support for the new National Highway Transport Safety Administration, NHTSA, regulations that will make it mandatory for all vehicles on American roads to meet higher safety standards in side impact crashes by 2013.
Eighty-seven percent of those interviewed believed the regulations would improve occupant protection in the event of an accident and save lives.
The new regulations do not mandate specific equipment to meet the new crash test requirements. But, the new directives will force manufacturers to offer head and thorax protection in the event of a side impact crash.
All vehicles will have to pass new crash tests which will be designed to simulate the impact of hitting a pole or narrow object, such as a tree. Another test will rate how a car fares when hit by a vehicle with a higher ride height such as a truck or SUV. One of the main goals of the new regulations is to limit the number of injuries caused by occupants being thrown from a vehicle during a crash.
The new regulations also will vary the type of dummies used tests to include a smaller occupant approximately the size of an adult female as well as an average sized adult male.
These stricter safety requirements, come on the heels of a report put out by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, IIHS, which concluded that side airbags that protect people's heads are reducing driver deaths in cars struck on the near (driver) side by an estimated 37 percent. Airbags that protect only the chest and abdomen but not the head are reducing deaths by 26 percent.
"We found lower fatality risks across the board - among older and younger drivers, male and female drivers, and drivers of both small cars and larger passenger vehicles," says Anne McCartt, Institute vice president for research and an author of the study.
In addition, head-protecting side airbags reduce driver fatality risk when cars are struck by SUVs and pickups, not just other cars. This is important because risks go up for occupants of cars that are struck in the side by higher riding vehicles. In particular, the car occupants' heads are vulnerable to being struck when their car is hit by a vehicle of higher stature. The Institute's study confirms that side airbags are reducing fatality risk in these crashes.
It is thought that most manufacturers will meet the new standard by fitting side curtain airbags or chest airbags, currently available as options on many models, as standard to all their vehicles. Several manufacturers have already stated they will move to meet the new standards ahead of the 2013 deadline. And in new models, full-length, side curtain airbags and active head restraints are becoming more common standard features.
"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 R. Nason said.
Side impact crashes account for 28 percent of fatalities on American roadways with the vast majority being linked to brain injuries suffered from head impact. The NHTSA estimated the new regulations will save over 300 lives and prevent over 400 brain and thorax injuries per year.
Despite the current availability of the technology to offer protection in the event of such crashes, 53 percent of the survey sample said they currently had no side curtain airbags in their vehicle.
However, when asked if they would be looking for side curtain airbags in their next vehicle, 48 percent of those polled said that they would be looking to have them in both the front and rear seats. An additional 29 percent said they would be looking for side airbags but in the front part of the vehicle only.
So, it seems the new regulations will, in time, dramatically increase the number of vehicles with this safety equipment installed. The NHTSA estimates that adding this new equipment will raise the price of a new car by under $300.
Buyer opinion was taken from a study sample of 1566 visitors who were drawn from among the 55,000 new car buyers who use the web site's online quote service each month. All respondents said that they were within 30 days of making a new car purchase.
Published on Thursday, February 21, 2008 - Email to a friend
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