xcel
09-08-2006, 06:39 PM
Change begins with vehicles in 2008 model year. (http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060908/BUSINESS01/609080378/1014)
Justin Hyde - Detroit Free Press - Sept. 8, 2006
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/SUV-Rollover.jpg
Automobiles propensity to roll over and crash test ratings will be displayed on new car stickers …
Starting next year, most vehicles sold in the United States will show potential buyers the scores from federal crash test and rollover ratings on their window stickers, an addition that likely will pressure any automaker with underperforming vehicles, federal officials said Thursday.
The change starting with 2008 model-year vehicles comes as part of last year's highway safety bill, which required the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to write rules for putting the crash-test results on window stickers. While the crash test data are readily available on the Internet and in several published guides, officials and safety advocates said the change would make the information far more visible.
When consumers look at window stickers, "not only will they be able to compare stereo systems, they will also be able to see how well a car protects their families," said U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, one of the sponsors of the bill mandating the change.
Several automakers, including Honda Motor Co. and General Motors Corp., already put the information on window stickers, but the new rule will standardize how the data are displayed.
Safety advocates praised the changes, although some had wanted NHTSA to include more information about other safety tests, such as the tougher tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Joan Claybrook, president of Public Citizen, said putting crash tests results right under buyers' noses would inevitably force automakers to put more emphasis on safety.
"If they have a bad rating, they're going to be worried about it, because it's going to be right there in the dealer's face," she said.
The stickers will feature a center panel showing the model's rating from one to five stars for head-on collisions, side-impact collisions and resistance to rollovers. The panel will also include a special warning symbol if a crash test raises a safety concern, such as a test dummy's head striking a window during a side-impact crash.
While the law requires the safety ratings for cars and SUVs, it doesn't cover pickup trucks due to a historical quirk in the legal definition of automobiles. NHTSA says General Motors and Ford Motor Co. have agreed to put the safety information on their trucks, and the agency expects other automakers to do so as well.
With more than 300 models on sale and a modest budget for crash tests, NHTSA will not be able to test every new model before it goes on sale. Under its rule, once NHTSA has tested a vehicle, automakers have 30 days to put the results on the window sticker.
The rule also could help speed changes to the crash tests themselves. Most new vehicles receive at least four stars for frontal crashworthiness, and among the scores of 2006 model-year vehicles tested so far by NHTSA, fewer than 10 have scored three stars. NHTSA Administrator Nicole Nason said the agency is working on updates to its testing program and expects to release proposals soon.
Justin Hyde - Detroit Free Press - Sept. 8, 2006
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/SUV-Rollover.jpg
Automobiles propensity to roll over and crash test ratings will be displayed on new car stickers …
Starting next year, most vehicles sold in the United States will show potential buyers the scores from federal crash test and rollover ratings on their window stickers, an addition that likely will pressure any automaker with underperforming vehicles, federal officials said Thursday.
The change starting with 2008 model-year vehicles comes as part of last year's highway safety bill, which required the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to write rules for putting the crash-test results on window stickers. While the crash test data are readily available on the Internet and in several published guides, officials and safety advocates said the change would make the information far more visible.
When consumers look at window stickers, "not only will they be able to compare stereo systems, they will also be able to see how well a car protects their families," said U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, one of the sponsors of the bill mandating the change.
Several automakers, including Honda Motor Co. and General Motors Corp., already put the information on window stickers, but the new rule will standardize how the data are displayed.
Safety advocates praised the changes, although some had wanted NHTSA to include more information about other safety tests, such as the tougher tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Joan Claybrook, president of Public Citizen, said putting crash tests results right under buyers' noses would inevitably force automakers to put more emphasis on safety.
"If they have a bad rating, they're going to be worried about it, because it's going to be right there in the dealer's face," she said.
The stickers will feature a center panel showing the model's rating from one to five stars for head-on collisions, side-impact collisions and resistance to rollovers. The panel will also include a special warning symbol if a crash test raises a safety concern, such as a test dummy's head striking a window during a side-impact crash.
While the law requires the safety ratings for cars and SUVs, it doesn't cover pickup trucks due to a historical quirk in the legal definition of automobiles. NHTSA says General Motors and Ford Motor Co. have agreed to put the safety information on their trucks, and the agency expects other automakers to do so as well.
With more than 300 models on sale and a modest budget for crash tests, NHTSA will not be able to test every new model before it goes on sale. Under its rule, once NHTSA has tested a vehicle, automakers have 30 days to put the results on the window sticker.
The rule also could help speed changes to the crash tests themselves. Most new vehicles receive at least four stars for frontal crashworthiness, and among the scores of 2006 model-year vehicles tested so far by NHTSA, fewer than 10 have scored three stars. NHTSA Administrator Nicole Nason said the agency is working on updates to its testing program and expects to release proposals soon.