Automakers would have to build stronger roofs for big SUVs and pickup trucks sold in the United States under rules proposed to protect people in rollover crashes, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
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The proposal reportedly would apply for the first time to large sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks weighing up to 10,000 pounds – the current standard exempts vehicles over 6,000 pounds, meaning popular sport utility vehicles and trucks such as the Ford Expedition, the Chevrolet Suburban and the Dodge Ram would now be covered.
According to the Associated Press, the plan issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) would require roofs to withstand direct pressure of 2.5 times the vehicle weight, increasing the current rule of 1.5 times the weight, and would also seek new information on other ways to protect occupants in rollovers, including potential use of improved seat belt technology.
“It will take a comprehensive strategy to reduce the staggering number of rollover deaths on the nation’s highways,” NHTSA Administrator Jeffrey Runge told AP. “Improving roof strength is an integral part of that plan.”
AP noted that rollover crashes account for more than one-third of traffic fatalities in the US. Last year, 10,553 people died in rollover crashes, up from 10,442 in 2003. About 60% of the people killed were not wearing seat belts.
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By GlobalDataNHTSA reportedly said an estimated 596 fatalities and 807 serious injuries a year involve people wearing seat belts who come into contact with a collapsed roof during a rollover crash.
The Associated Press said rollovers and the issue of roof crush have led to wide disagreement among auto industry and safety groups. The industry has questioned whether strengthening roofs would provide more protection, pointing to the large number of people killed in rollovers who were not wearing seat belts.
But safety advocates reportedly contend that when a roof is crushed, it makes seat belts less likely to work and the occupant more likely to be ejected from the vehicle. They have pushed for stronger standards than those included in the government’s proposal.
AP said some safety groups expressed concern over the proposal’s language that could prevent plaintiffs from suing automakers if they fail to have roof crush standards even stronger than the federal rules.
Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the Washington-based Center for Auto Safety, told the Associated Press it would be “used as a shield against future product liability lawsuits.”
AP added that the proposal, which will now receive input from automakers and safety groups, is expected to cost the industry $US88 million to $95 million a year and is projected to save 13 to 44 lives per year. It could prevent 500 to 800 injuries a year, according to NHTSA.
Lou Carlin, director of safety integration for General Motors, told the Associated Press that GM was reviewing the proposal but did not anticipate any major problems implementing the plan.
The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a trade group that represents nine automakers, reportedly said it supported work to “enhance real-world safety in all types of motor vehicle crashes, including rollovers.” It said it would review the proposal, which could take effect as early as 2009.
The Associated Press noted that US vehicle safety regulators have been working on the proposal since 2001 while Congress last month directed the government to issue a new roof-strength standard.
