US: NHTSA seeks more time for new roof strength regulations

By: Glenn Brooks, Monday, June 23, 2008, AutomotiveWorld.com

The ongoing delays to new legislation to replace the US's 35-year old laws on vehicle roof crush standards have taken a new twist. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration now states that it will shortly tell Congress it is unable to meet a congressional deadline to toughen the regulations.

An official familiar with the decision has reportedly told The Detroit News that the agency is to write to the legislative body requesting more time to complete its research. The newspaper says the NHTSA needs to address various questions and concerns from senators and OEMs alike over the proposals, which will have potentially enormous R&D and production change costs.

In 2005, the Authority, which is an agency of the United States Transport Department was ordered by Congress to rewrite regulations concerning minimum roof strength for passenger vehicles sold in the US market. Its deadline was 1 July 2008.

The proposal as it is, would require that a car or SUV's roof not buckle in the event of a force 2.5 times its own weight being applied. At the same time, an average US male occupant must not sustain cranial damage from such a simulated crush. This compares to the current law, which requires a rollover equivalent test of only 1.5 times vehicle weight with the impact directed at one side of the roof.

Further, many more vehicles would be subject to the law, as the limit is proposed to rise to pull in light trucks that tip the scales at up to 10,000 punds (6,000 at present). Both sides of the roof should also be tested, the NHTSA believes.

In the US, some 10,000 people lose their lives every year in automobile collisions. Whilst only 3% of the total number of crashes is from vehicles that tip over, fully one third of deaths are from such incidents, even now that that so many vehicles have side and curtain airbags. The average incidence of seat belt use is still seen as in need of improvement. 

Many OEMs have already commenced work on designing vehicles with stronger rooves, while yet others have also begun to fit electronic rollover prevention systems that slow a vehicle before it begins the first stage of the swaying process that can lead to such deadly incidents.

Published on Monday, June 23, 2008

Back to top