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GAO report confirms government test crash program out-dated
April 28, 2005
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released today highlighted the government's crash test program as being out-dated. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the U.S. Department of Transportation runs the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Created 25 years ago, at the time the crash test program was considered a major advance in highway safety.
When reevaluating the tests now, the tests fail to include significant factors, including the propensity of vehicle roofs to crush during rollover crashes or test vehicle compatibility. Using just male crash test dummies, the tests do not include women or children in test results, and they do not test how the vehicles responds when hitting pedestrians or when the corner of a vehicle is involved in a crash. The major increase in SUVs on the road is not considered either, which could be addressed by using a higher and heavier barrier for crash tests instead of one that is the height of a compact vehicle.
Based on preliminary figures released last week, SUV fatalities increased 4.9 percent between 2003 and 2004, and some auto safety experts criticize the four and five star test ratings as misleading consumers in some cases because vehicle performance in crash tests are not as thorough as they could and should be. The NCAP ratings, incomplete as they are, are not even released to consumers until millions of the tested vehicles have been sold.
The Public Citizen consumer group issued a press release in response to the GAO report, saying the crash test program must be brought up to date for the safety of everybody on the roads. Making stronger tests and requiring the auto industry to conduct and certify them before any new vehicle is sold can improve the program, according to the consumer group. The group also believes consumers can benefit from the auto safety information by including the test results on window stickers at the point of sale, communicated by a letter system grading the performance from an "A" to "F" scale, instead of the current star system.
For more information on crashworthiness, contact us to confer with an attorney.
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