INSURANQl'OTlTUTE

fOR.HIGHWAYSAFm

Vol. 2( No. 2 Februuy 25, 1989

77lt Goo -. c..,. _ 11,620 tOlJJl,*"""", in oil 1rMu taU.

All Small 2-Door 1989 CarsSustain Damage in Low-Speed Tests

Even !be best of 19smaII_19~car models .ested for bumper perfDrllllll«needed _ .. cIoIIars worth .. repairs.!be III5lUlIlClO Institule for Hil/tWay SoIety_rts.

In anoual 5 mph aub tests evaluatingthe relative perlorJDance or bumpers, theInstitute Slys !be cars wilb Ibe worst ......._ more !ban 13,000 in damage. (Seechart Page 5)

''There's DO reason why any DeW carsbouId be damaged at all in Ibese tests,wbidl ....... 10 IiItIe more !ban partinglot bumpo:' Slys Brian O'Neill, IlIIlilutepresiden\. Notillll tbat in 1981, !be FordEscort withstood the lime series or testswithout any crash damage, O'Neill asked,

"Why don', 1989 models?"The uswtf is that in 1981 there wu a

slroIlIl federal stancIanI in effe,\. All newautomobiles bad 10 be capable of witbstan­ding 5 mph front and rear barrier impadsand 3 mph oorner impaclJ witboo. damage.\lut in May 1982 !be National Highway TraI·fit Solely Administration (NHTSA) rolledback Ibe stancIanI'o a 2.5 mpb frontoJ andrear barrier aasb test requirement and per­milled bumper damage in !bose lesb.

''The .....1 is !be oooe«asary damagewe're seeing in our cnsb tests apin thisyear," says O'Neill. ''To make mattersworse, Department or Transportation or­ficiaIs aren't providing oonsumers with

(Cont'd on Page 4)

Institute: Classify AUPassenger-CarryIngVehicles Accurately

Allpassengtr-arryillll_ sbouId beclassified as such, and aU of the relevantfederal motor vehicle safety staodardssbouId be enended 10 !bem as quickly aspogibIe, !be IIlSlI13IlCO Institute for HigbwaySoIety bas .okl !be National Hil/tway Tral·fie Solely Adminis.ration (NHTSA).

In comments on aproposal to adopt newvehicle classifICations, the Institute sayssome oIlbe agency suggestions coukI bavea~ safety impact. Tbe primaJy pro­blem, JlYS_It Hrirto, !be Inslilute'.general counsel, is thai the agreocy wouldstill be placiDg vehicles with similar func­lions into different classes. For example.a station wagon would be categorized as apassenger car, but a passenger-earryiogminivan would still be classified as a VaD.

The American Automobile Association(AM) Slys "valuable time is beillll lost in.....ring !be safety 01 all motor vebideplSlOllIlOrs."

In comments 5lIbmiUed to NHTSA, theAM. says, ''Today's traveling motorists areincreasingly turning from traditionalpassenger cars to other vehicles sucb aslight trucks and minivans for routinetransportation as weD as m:reation&I travelSudJ vebicles are designed specifJ<ally forthe convenient, oomfortlbie transport oflarger numbers of passengers, includingchildren."

_ 01 !be way _ are das1ified,

(Conl'd on Page 6)

IIHS Status Report, Vol. 24, No.2, February 25, /989-3

ing As5ociatiolll and the Natioul PrivateTruck Cooncil that ~ _ada apIidt,written policies regordiDg__

adjustment. "If !be drims are respo'"bIe fnr performing sudJ adjuJtmeIIts," saY'Ibe board, "provide them with thenecessary training."

Institute: CrashTesting a MustFor Rear Seat Belts

The National Highway Traffic Safety Ad·ministration (NHTSA) should require crashtesting to assure the safety of rear seat lapand shoulder belts, says the Insurance In­stitute for Highway Safety.

NHTSA recently issued a proposal to re­quire lap and shoulder belts in the outboardrear seats of all new passenger vehicles.

"NHTSA must, however, do more thanmerely require !be installation of these sal..Iy beJts," Ihe Institule says in commentson the proposed rule, "it must also assurethat these belts proVide sufftcient protec­tion to both adults and children."

NHTSA's proposal would require all cars,except convertibles, manufactured on oralter Sept. I, 1989, 10 be equipped wilb rearseal lap and 'boulder bell>. NHTSA wouldextend the requirement to include conver­tibles, pickup trucks, vans, utility vehicles,and small buses on Sept. 1, 1991. The pro­posed rulemaking announced by the agen·cy would only require static testing tomeasure compliance with Federal MotorVehicle Safety Standard 209, Seal BeltAssemblies.

Tbe Instilule laYS, bowever, thaI NHTSAneeds to require vehicle crash testing tomeasure the effectiveness of the belts.

In particular, !be Instilule laYS, !be asen·cy must ensure that the vehide's structure,anchorage locations, and belt systems pre­vent abdominal injuries that can result froma person submarining under the lap por­tion of a lap and shoulder belt.

The Instilule poinl> oul that NHTSA em·pIusized !be importance of !be bell systemIDd vehicle structure working togetherwhen !be agency considered retrofit lap and'boukler belt kil> to replace rear seal lapbell>. At that time, NHTSA staled:

"(The) effectiveness of a retrofitted lapand shoulder safety belt system may welldepend on its design compatibility with thevehicle and the installation, sinre they werenot engioeered and buUI in al the factory.Avehicle's Roor pan design, seat stiffnessand seal design (as it relates to occupantposture) can affect the possibility of an oc­cupant's submarining in a crash."

The best way to measure the interactionof all these design features and the levelof occupant protection, the Institute adds,is to conduct a crash test. "However, toaddress the very important issue of sub­marining and abdominal injuries, which arepotential problems with belt systems,especially on bench seal>, NHTSA mu,tdevelop appropriate test criteria to set limitson bell performance for abdominal loadingand occupant submarining."

In ils propnsal, NHTSA rejected crashtesting because neither dummy positioningprocedures nor testing procedures for rearseat occupants have been developed.

The Institute also urges NHTSA to pro­hibit tension-relieving devices that can in­troduce slack in the belt system and reducethe effectiveness of lap and shoulder belts.Standard 208, OcaJpant Restraints, mrrent­ly permits use of these devices.

"The agency's own 30 mph sled testshave shown Ibat adding ooIy small amounlsof slack in the shoulder portion of a three­point belt greatly increases head injuryvalues," the Institute says. "indicating thatfront seat occupants wearing their beltsloosely are al greater risk of head injUrythan occupants wearing their belts snugly."

The Institute also asks NHTSA toguarantee that manufacturers design therear seat lap and shoulder belts to safelysecure child restraint systems.

"='===::-"........-.-...---..- ... .... ....- III 24 III..- II 4t •- III * as- as 42 51... II III 118- III f1 III- III .. ......0- ... 10 .......... '* ,. •....... ,., -It 11/.... .. " 11/- $I Ji IIIIt •- .......".... • ... •-....... as .. 48......... f1 "" ........hIlill_ 211 " ...

Number of MotoristsDrinking and DrivingDeclines, PoD Says

The number of persons who admit todrinking and driving has declined signifi­cantly in the past three years, says a na­tionwide poll sponsored by the AII·lndustryResearch Advisory Council (AIRAC).

'IWenty-eight percent of the personspolled admitted to drinking and driving in1988, down from 37 percenl in 1985.

Tbe poU, conducted by Ibe Roper Organi·ution, found that almost all of the declinecame from persons aged 18 through 34."I'or example:' !be report SB)', "oearIy ballof 18 Ibrough 24')Ul'-old drhors said thatthey had driven after drinking in 1985 com­pared (with] 31 percenl in 1988."

Thirty-nine percent of those 25 through29 admilled to drinking and driving in 1988,

(Coni ~ on ltJge 7)

71Ie 1988 Honda CRX OX _ 1877damtJge in /l!QT p()/e awh.

lsuzu Impu/s< sulfmd 11,254 damtJge intht front rmgle !>arM tnt.

R-. from front angle !>arM aash:71> "pair tht light biIJe PlymouJ1r CoIJ oost1333, buJ 10 Jix tht dark biIJe C1rrysJ"e:.m.- oosIll,472. On the right, Ply·mouIh Sundwu:e sustains 1874 damtJge inrear pole awh.

AU Small 2-Door 1M.Can SustaiD DamageIn Low-Speed Tes..

(c"nl'd from poge I)bumper performance information, as theypromised to do." California CongressmanAnthony C. Beilenson says he sees DO

reason why consumers should continue toput up with inferior bumpen. BeiIenson basreintroduced legisJation to require NHTSAto reinstate the strong 5 mph bumper rule.

8eilenson, citing the Institute's crashlestJ, says: "The weaker standard is cootingconsumers hundreds of millions of dollarsevery year in unnecessary repair costs andbigher insurance premiums." AlthoughNHTSA promised consumers tbat theweaker standards would help improvegasoline mileage and lower car costs,neither benefit materialized, Beileosoo toldhis CtlDeagues. He noted that ConsumersUnion and the Center for Auto Safety,together with the automobile insurance in­dustry I have urged restoration of the stan­dard.

In the Institute's crash tesIs aU 0/ the canare subjected 10 front and rear 5 mph im­pacts with a flat conaete barrier and a 5mph front impact with an anile barrier. Anadditional 5 mph rear impact into a steelpole similar to tbose found in parking Jotscompletes the tests.

Some auto makers, Institute tests show,have improved bumper performance. Foreumple, Honda's 1988 CRX OX, sustain­ed 1877 in damage duri"ll the rear pole im·pact. The 1989 model sustained about baIfas much damage.

One reason for the high repair costs istbe cost of replacement parts. The frontfender of Chrysler's 1989 Conquest wu sodamaged it had to be replaced, at a costof $300. "An entire washing machine ooststhe same amount 0/ maney," O'NeiU pointsout, "and tbat isn't just a piece of sbeetmetal. 11 comes oomplete with mnInr, _,

hoses, and circuitry as weU as the metalhousing." Prices for similu sheet metal

IIHS Status Report, Vol. 24, No.2, February 25, 1989-5

replacement parts vary wKlely. The frootfende, for the 1989 CoDquesl alii 1300.001 a similar _ for the 1989 PlymouthSuDdaoce was priced a1192. Such pricioghas an important impact on repair costs,O'NeUi DDles.

Other billbl~b iodude: Three can ....Iained more IhaD 13.000 in dama«e in thefool crash lesb: the Isum Impulse. DaihablICharade, and HDOda CRX HF.

Only aioe can sustaioed DO damage atall in the froDt and rear barrier impld5.Sia can bod more IhaD 1500 in damItle inthe rear barrier lest aIOOe. They iodudethe H'Dda CRX HF. Daihabo Charade,Dodge D.yt.... V.lUwageD F••• DodgeDaytooa £.S. and lsuzu Impulae.

The Isum Impulse aad QuyaIer CooquestTSi received more IhaD 11,000 in damItlein the froDtaI angle barrier impact.

Nine can bad SI,OOO or more in damageas a reau\I of the rear pole test. The worst_ the Isuau Impuloe. with lJ.445 indama«e.

'KEEP ON LOOKING'""_filmfor_9toI2

years old is reapoooibIe for • more IhaD 20perceDI decrease ill pedestrian mabes forIUl ... group ill MiIw.......

TIle film. proRced by the _IfiPway TnIIIc Sa/ely __(NIITSA). _ "ADd Koep oolAc*ing,"is. aequeJ to "WUIy WbittIe," wbicIl was.-ill 1976 for Y'JODI'I' dJiIdren. 8DIhfilms are ......... to beIp _ IIIeIy"""tile -. 0Id0r _ .... 1MIIIli ... a 1IIIICl.,..,OMS. Studies...... IUlUI pedestriaDa _the....of 9 and 12 were killed iD 1987.

"ADd Koep On ........." _ with the.... CllIDjlIoo tnIIic _ ..

_edbyolder_....... Ntw.-,.. actor and mimic, repIIces the cartolMIFIgUre, Willy, with impeltOlllliDDa familiar

(ConJ'd on ,.,. i)

On The Inside

BUMPER TFSTS: Even the best of thesmall twcrdoor car models tested neededhundreds of dollars worth of repairs, theInstitute reports Page 1

VEHICLE CLASSIFICATION: Allpassenger-earrying vehicles should beclassified as such and all relevant federalstandards should be extended to them, theInstitute says... . Page I

TRUCK BRAKES: The NTSB says DOTshould issue a rule 10 require automaticslack adjusters on all new heavy trucks.. . . . . . . . . . Page 2

SAMUEL K. SKINNER is confirmed asSecretary of Transportation ..... Page 2

LAP AND SHOULDER BELTS: NHTSAshould require crash testing to assure thesafety of rear seat lap and shoulder belts,says the Institute Page 3

DRINKING AND DRIVING: The numberof persons who admit to drinking and driv­ing bas declined signiflCaDtly in the pastthree years, says a nationwide poll............................ Page 3

AN EDUCATIONAL FILM for children isresponsible for a more than 20 percentdecrease in pedestrian crashes for kids 9to 12 years old in Milwaukee ... Page 5

Vol. 24, No.2, Febnaary 25, 1989

DUR STUDY: Institute sponsored studyfinds some vehide aasbes with animals canbe avoided Page 6

TRUCK INSPECTIONS: Large truclls andbuses in interstate commerce must pass acomprehensive safety inspection at leastoore a year. the FHWA says ....Page 7

If you .... Dol DOW receil1DC S/o""Report OD I ........ bub, bDt woaldlike to, .imply drop • Dote to the Com·mDD1catlo.. \leportmeat lithe .........below and we will add your Dame tolb. mall1ag Ibt.

STATUS1005 Nortb Glebe RoadArlington. VA 22201(703) 247·1500

Editor: James H. MooneyAssociate Editor: Rea TylerWritm: Bernie Ankney, Trina 81oltonEdilOrial Assistants: Cariene Hughes, Loretta MorrisonProductiOll: Sheila Y. Jackson, Diahann Hill

Tile Insurance Institute fOf Highway Safety is an in­dependent, nonprofit, scientific and educationalorganization. It is dedicated to reducing the losses-­deaths, injuries and property damage-resulting fromcubes on the nation's highways. The Institute issupported by the Amerian IlISUT~ Highway SafetyAssociation, the American Insurers Higbway SafetyAlliance, the National Association of Independenlln­sums Safety Association and several individual in·suran(t' companies,

ContenlJ may be republished whole, nf in part, withattribution.

ISSN Q018·988X