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Traffic safety administrator Dr. Jeffrey Runge talks into a voice-recognition steering wheel at the auto show.Feds weigh rollover rules
NHTSA is working with automakers and suppliers to see what tests could be used.
Dr. Jeffrey Runge praised automakers' efforts to push safety and fuel economy earlier in the process.
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is considering a new rollover stability test that would enhance the safety of popular SUVs, the nation's top auto safety regulator said Monday.
NHTSA administrator Dr. Jeffrey Runge, in an interview with The Detroit News, said he was pleased with the number of automakers offering electronic stability control, a computerized steering and braking technology that detects and helps prevent a rollover.
But despite the safety benefits of the technology, Runge said automakers that offer stability control and similar technologies are at a competitive disadvantage with automakers that choose not to offer it because of its added cost -- estimated to be up to $350 per vehicle.
"We have not won the war on rollover yet," Runge said, "although we're making great strides."
Runge said NHTSA was looking closely at electronic stability control and steps the agency could take to encourage the widespread use of it.
One possibility is a stability test that would measure how well a vehicle handles in a rollover situation.
Vehicles with the technology would presumably do better in such a test.
The agency does not mandate specific safety technologies, but it could use a new performance test to encourage automakers to use stability control or another kind of rollover-prevention technology.
The agency is working with automakers and automotive suppliers to examine what kinds of tests could be used.
The agency, Runge said, is currently narrowing down its options.
A NHTSA study published in September found stability control helped reduce single-vehicle crashes involving SUVs by 67 percent. NHTSA found that stability control led to 30 percent fewer single-vehicle crashes in cars. The agency estimates that 7.4 percent of vehicles sold in the United States in 2003 were equipped with stability control. An Insurance Institute of Highway Safety study estimated widespread use of the technology could save more than 7,000 lives a year.
Electronic stability control systems help drivers stay on the road in emergency situations by automatically adjusting steering and braking to keep a vehicle on course. Sensors in the steering wheel and in the braking system calculate the driver's intended line of travel. If the driver is on a slippery road or is trying to turn too quickly at a high speed, the stability control system will apply the brakes to one or more wheels to bring the vehicle back under control.
Any new stability tests would come in addition to a vehicle rating system initiated in 2003. NHTSA does not regulate rollover stability, but it does assign ratings of one to five stars on all light vehicles to provide consumers with information about their propensity to roll over. The results are published on a web site, www.safercar.org.
NHTSA is already preparing to issue new safety rules that would require stronger roofs and enhance seat belt performance during rollovers. The proposed regulation is now being reviewed by Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta and the White House, Runge said.
"I certainly hope we'll see it soon," Runge said.
Runge, a critic of the auto industry's SUV safety record, praised the industry's latest safety advances Monday in a daylong visit to the 2005 North American International Auto Show.
He spent the day being feted by top industry executives, including Chrysler CEO Dieter Zetsche, on the latest safety advances.
Runge was impressed that automakers are emphasizing safety and fuel economy earlier in the product development process.
"There seems to be a real consciousness of safety and fuel economy in some of these newly designed vehicles, more than I've seen before," Runge said.
Robert Lange, General Motors Corp.' director of safety and structural integration, said he emphasized GM's concept cars and the company's product development process in his visit with the NHTSA administrator.
Lange said it was clear on the auto show floor just how competitive the market for new safety technologies has become. Automakers are moving much faster to adopt new safety features than NHTSA can write regulations, he said.
"The marketplace demands far more safety technology than NHTSA can justify through cost-benefit analysis," Lange said.
It was two years ago that Runge declared war on the SUV when he said he wouldn't buy a poorly rated SUV for his own children, citing their propensity to rollover. The comments stung automakers that rely on SUV sales for a large portion of their profits.
Since then, Runge has maintained a low public profile. But automakers have accelerated plans to install electronic stability control and other gear to make SUVs less prone to roll over.
"This is the second anniversary of our declaration of war on rollover," Runge said, responding to a reporter's question. . "There's no war. There is peace."
Sue Cischke, Ford Motor Co. vice president of safety and environmental engineering, guided Runge through the Ford displays. She emphasized steps the company is taking to act responsibly, and said that relations had improved between the industry and NHTSA.
"We see there's a way for government and industry to work together and get things done a lot faster than regulation," Cischke said.
But Dr. Ricardo Martinez, NHTSA administrator during the Clinton administration, said Runge did the right thing to emphasize rollover safety when the industry was dragging its feet in acknowledging a problem.
"The industry overreacted to his comments, and Jeff learned from that," Martinez said in an interview at the auto show. "But that doesn't mean the bully pulpit isn't important. If you can't use the bully pulpit in such an important, well-known issue, then you probably shouldn't have the job."
Runge's comments Monday came even as the industry generated a record 598 recalls last year, affecting more than 30.6 million vehicles. Runge said he was not particularly worried about the high number of recalls. He said the surge indicated automakers were detecting and moving to fix problems earlier.
Runge, an emergency room physician before coming to NHTSA, also indicated he hopes to stay on the job for the foreseeable future.
"I love my job," Runge said. "The chance to influence thousands and thousands of lives is something you can't ignore. If we get a side impact standard, which we've just proposed, that's a thousand lives right there. How long would I have to work in emergency medicine to save a thousand lives?"
You can reach Jeff Plungis at (202) 906-8204 or jplungis@detnews.com.
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