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SUV Rollover Regulations Under Fire
August 22, 2006
Both safety experts and the auto industry have heavily criticized new proposed federal safety regulations regarding auto roof strength . Such regulations have been proposed in order to provide better roof protection in the event of passenger car and SUV rollover .
Safety advocates have staunchly argued that the planned safety changes fall drastically short of what is necessary to effectively protect passengers in the event of auto rollover.
Now, the auto industry is arguing that the new regulations are too tough. Domestic and overseas auto makers are lobbying the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in hopes of relaxing the new rules.
This new industry effort flies in the face of consumer auto safety, many experts contend.
According to industry representatives, the primary cause of death in an SUV rollover is being ejected from the vehicle due to not wearing a seat belt. Charles Territo, of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, argues that electronic stability control and similar safety features are better suited to saving lives in SUV rollovers than stronger roof standards.
The industry's "do-nothing" approach to auto safety drastically fails to address the serious need to reduce rollover deaths. It also distorts the facts about the causes of rollover accidents. An estimated 7,000 people are seriously injured or killed every year in rollovers in which the roof was crushed. It is clear that stronger roof regulations must be an integral part to any auto safety improvements.
Even if the proposal is passed into law, the new rules will not be effective until 2010. The industry claims they won't even be able to make this deadline, despite the NHTSA's estimate that 68 percent of all currently sold vehicles currently meet the proposed safety regulations.
Safety advocates continue to argue that automakers and the safety agency are failing to take the necessary steps to strengthen roofs and reduce the risk of death from SUV rollover.
For more information on crashworthiness, contact us to confer with an auto crash attorney.
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