Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Watchdogs call for better roof-strength test

Stronger car-roof rules mean real-world crash simulations will be needed, they say.

By Jeff Plungis / Detroit News Washington Bureau

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Anticipating a new roof-strength proposal from federal regulators later this summer, consumer advocates Monday called for a tough crash test that they said would save thousands of lives in rollover accidents.

The roof-strength regulation has become a flash point in a debate over how to reduce the approximately 10,000 rollover fatalities in the United States each year.

The current requirement for roof strength is a static test basically unchanged since its enactment in 1971. A steel plate applies force to the front "A" pillar at an angle of 5 degrees.

At a news conference in Washington, the consumer group Public Citizen said that from public statements, it was clear that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was leaning toward keeping the basic parameters of the current test, including the relatively flat 5 degree angle.

The groups claimed the agency would simply increase the force requirement, from 1.5 times the unloaded weight of the vehicle to 2.5 times.

Public Citizen president Joan Claybrook, a former NHTSA administrator, said the agency was falling short by not considering a dynamic test that resembled what happens in real-world crashes.

Claybrook said NHTSA needs to consider that weak roofs not only can collapse in on occupants but also lead to shattered windows, which can then lead to ejections.

"The roof is like the backbone of the vehicle," she said.

NHTSA spokesman Rae Tyson said it was premature to comment on specifics of the agency's proposed rule. NHTSA's recommendations are under review by Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta. The proposal could be released as soon as June.

Don Friedman, a former General Motors Corp. engineer who joined Claybrook at the news conference, said new roof standards could prevent nearly 7,000 rollover-related deaths and serious injuries a year.

But Tyson said consumer groups were exaggerating the potential impact. A strong roof would save fewer than 50 lives a year, he said.

You can reach Jeff Plungis at (202) 906-8204 or jplungis@detnews.com.