Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers Commits To Side Air Bag Testing Enhancements
9 August 2000
Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers Commits To Side Air Bag Testing Enhancements
WASHINGTON - Automakers today committed to test and design side air bags
according to rigorous new procedures developed voluntarily by a working group of
technical experts. The test procedures were presented today to the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which requested that automakers take this
voluntary action.
"These side air bag test procedures are another step forward in vehicle
safety," said Josephine S. Cooper, President and CEO, Alliance of Automobile
Manufacturers. "We believe these are the right procedures to evaluate and
help further reduce the already low inflation injury risk of side air bags,
while still providing air bags that are effective in side-impact crashes."
NHTSA has been tracking crash cases to monitor the extent of any injuries
that could be caused by side air bags. Side air bag systems first appeared in
vehicles in 1997. To date, about 50 accident cases involving side air bag
deployments have been investigated, and field performance data show that side
air bags can increase overall occupant protection. The objective of the
Technical Working Group was to build on this positive experience and further
enhance the safety of side air bags by defining standardized test procedures
to help assure that even in the rare event that an occupant is out-of-position
at the time of deployment, the risk of serious injury continues to be very
low.
"Regarding side air bags, we're taking a situation that looks very good
and trying to reduce risk even further, especially for vehicle occupants who
are not properly seated or buckled up," said Cooper.
The side air bag test procedures submitted to NHTSA are comprehensive and
rigorous. They use a family of test dummies that is representative of the
out-of-position at-risk population (young children, adolescents, and small
adults) in a range of different positions to assess all major regions of the
body potentially at risk.
In a letter to the NHTSA Administrator, Alliance members have committed to
an 8-point action plan covering design and implementation, information
dissemination and sustainability:
-- As part of this plan, Alliance members will design future side air bag
systems according to the final procedures, using the injury reference
values as the performance criteria.
-- Upon request of NHTSA, Alliance members will voluntarily confirm that
side air bags have been designed according to the new procedures.
-- Automakers will make available information on which vehicles have side
air bags designed under the procedures in product feature buyer guides.
-- Alliance members will communicate safety information on side air bags
through owner's manuals and other publications.
-- The Alliance will continue to review crash investigation information
involving vehicles equipped with side air bags.
-- The Alliance will also continue to review the biomechanical and
scientific basis of the procedures as part of its ongoing research
efforts to advance motor vehicle safety.
-- By fall of 2001, the Technical Work Group will reconvene to review
additional data and scientific information on the procedures, and
undertake revisions as appropriate.
-- The procedures will be transferred to an international voluntary
standards organization when appropriate to ensure the sustainability of
the side air bag test procedures.
Side air bags afford further occupant protection during side-impact
crashes, where the occupant can be vulnerable due to reduced "crush space."
Side air bags, which are about 1/3 the size of front air bags, are available
on more than 100 models of vehicles. Depending on the particular vehicle and
manufacturer, side air bags may come activated, de-activated, or as an option.
Currently, federal law requires driver and passenger front air bags, but side
air bags are not required by law.
At the request of NHTSA, Alliance members, in cooperation with the
Association of International Automobile Manufacturers (AIAM) and the
Automotive Occupants Restraint Council (AORC), have been working over the past
year to develop the uniform test procedures. This activity was chaired by the
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), an organization independent
from the auto industry and its suppliers. In the spring of 1999, the NHTSA
Administrator asked the industry to voluntarily develop comprehensive side air
bag tests.
The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers is a coalition of 13 car and
light truck manufacturers, representing BMW Group, DaimlerChrysler, Fiat, Ford
Motor Company, General Motors, Isuzu, Mazda, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan,
Porsche, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo. Alliance member companies have
approximately 600,000 employees in the United States, with more than 250
facilities in 35 states. Alliance members represent more than 90 percent of
U.S. vehicle sales.