Volume 26, Number 6 - Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

\bl26.
.6
DrIver Data: What's
Crucial Is Often
Off the Record
June 15 1991
'Safe Road to Fuel
Economy' Is More
AFUght of Fancy
Publicly accessible driver records
recent Center for Auto eare frequently misleading. In part,
ty report. purporting to
that' because of poor compliance
sbo that Jarge Incr
with tate reporting requirements for
in fuel econom
crashes and traffic convictions. But
dard
on'
quite often It' the resuIt of policies
have a negat
by ate legi latures, traffic courts.
effect on vehiand motor vehicle departments that
cle safety,
eep such information off drl er
nothing more
than-an ex
records.
In Ishful thin An study by the Insurance Reing, the Insurance
search COlDIdI (lRC) reveals that such
Institute
for Highpractices are widespread and growing,
way Safety says.
affecting the records of millions of U.S.
motorists. this lack of reliable Infor"The Safe Roo to
mation uis a serious threat to publlc
Fuel Economy" presafety," says Donald W. Segraves, the
pared by the center
Council's executive director, who
and MCR Technology,
Inc.,
claims that automakpoin out that higtHisk drivers may Chrysler oIfm built-in child seaI3 in '92 minivans. See story Page 2.
be hired to operate school buses, taxi
ers can meet a corporate r·
cabs. or trucks by employers unaware of
age fuel economy (CAFE) standard of 34
their histories.
mpg by 1996 and a 40 to 45 mpg standard
by
2001 and still drive the fatality rate per
Employers are not the only ones affectvehicle miles 01 travel from 2.2 to I.
ed. Incomplete records can compromise
2001. biD to achieve a 34 mpg standard
the abill of officials to enforce Ucen e
After years of acrimonious debate, Calby 1996 and a 40 mpg staodan:I has been
control actIons against negligent drivers
Ifornia is joiDiog 23 other states and the
cleared
by the Senate Commerce
....
and are of limited usefulnes to reo
District of Cofumbia th mandatory m0and Transportation Commit ee. and I
searchers. They can also be a financiaJ
torcycle helmet Ia for all riders. The
now awaiting a vote on the Senate Door.
burden to other drivers. Segrav says,
legislation, effective Jan. 1 1992, was
by boosting the insurance rates of safe
Although the Institute says it Is possisigned by Governor Pete Wilson recently
driver to pay for some of the losses
ble and Important to improve fuel economy
after being vetoed twice dUring tbe prior
caused by the hidden high-risk group.
and achieve better occupant prole tion.
(Conl'd on Page 6)
(Conl'd on Page 10)
(Conl'd on Page 2)
2-DBS 'atus Report, fuL 26. 0.6, June 15 1991
Chrysler has removed the wraps from
its latest safety feature, built·ln child
seat which will be an option in 1992
Dodge and Plymouth small vans in ugust.
The option will cost between ISO and
200 and will be available in the 1992
Dodge Caravan. Grand Caravan, Plymouth
Voyager, and Grand Voyager.
.. lmost half of all customer in the
minivan segment have two or more children under age ix, ~ significantly more
children than In other market segments,
says Ronald . Zarowltz, manager of
Chrysler car and true afety. "The
Chry I r minivan ere the ob loos
choie for us to launch the integrated
child seat."
About 0 percent of Infants and tod·
dl rs ride in child safety eats. but surve:s sho that man are Improperly secured. And fewer than 50 percent of ebBdren between the ages of 5 and 12 wear
seat belts. By building child restraints Into
vehicl ,automakers greatly simplify the
task 01 ecuring toddler and booster
hi make correct use of the adult lap
and shoulder belts a cinch.
Located in the middle van bench seat,
which can accommodate two rider , the
two safety seats are contained in the seat·
back cushion and can accommodate children weighing between 20 and pounds.
In an action imllar to pulling down an
arm rest, the child seat cushion folds
down, and a built-In head restraint can be
folded up. Aftve.point safety barn fastens the chUd in. When one of the children
outgro the harness, the left side seat
can be modified by tucking the harness
behind a panel Then the folded down seat
cushion orks as a booster so the child
can properly use the three-point lap and
houJder belt.
The child seats are designed to make
chlJd restraint use foolproof, says larowtt2,
coinventor of the integrated design.
The seats hi performed well In crash
tests, 1.arowitz says. In crash tes using
ttJree.year-dd child dummies, head Injury
measurements and chest accelerations
were "dramatically below the allowable
levels, Zarowitz points out.
Volvo became the first auto company
to incorporate child protection into Its auto
OrrysIer two seats can accommodate children weiWIing belwem20 and 40 pounds.
tomobiles in the United tates In April
1991. The new \blvo built-in booster is deigned for children bo have outgrown
child safety seats so they can safely use
three-point belts. The booster I available
as a 200 accessory In the 1991 model 940
sedan. The cushion folds down to accommodate children weighing between SO to
80 pounds, and is located in the rear center seat where a three-point lap and shoulder belt Is standard eqUipment. When the
cushion is folded down. a top section I
folded up to form a hac rest. The 10wer
section is d Igned to prevent the cblld
from sliding under the belt in a crash.
AFlIght of Fancy
(ConJ'd from Page 1)
the center's n
document "provides no
new data, misinterprets existing data. ~
vides little or no documentation for many
of the assertions made ... and frequently
uses numbers that are unsupported.
The center' report confuses vehicle
size and weight Issues, using In friar v0lume, exterior ize, and weight "Interchangeably to suit an argument," the Instl·
tute says in its analysis. It c1alms that "for
a given population of cars. there' no re1ationship between CAFE and ClJJreI1t levels
of safety.
In fact comparisons of 1985 through
1987 models for the years 1986 through
1988 show that for each mUe per gallon increase in fuel economy, there as a 3.9
percent increase In the fatality rate. An additional comparison of 1984 through 1988
car models for 1985 through 1989 found
similar results. ore than 50 studies show
vehicle ize is related to occupant protection, the Institute says. Other claims and
rebuttals:
• "Since 1974 new car fuel economy has
Increased by 100 percent and traffic fatali-
llHS Status Report. VoL 26, No.6, June 15, 1991-3
ties [fatality rates per mile traveled] have
decreased by 40 percent.·
This i too general a statistic to gauge
the effect of car down izlng. any factors ha e contrIbuted to the improvement belt use la •tougher drink-driving
Ia • and aging baby boomers. The per
mile death rate al 0 Includes motorcyct. ped trians. and other categorl
hat have little to do with car size. .thout do iziog, the per mile death rate
for passenger vehicle cupants auld be
even 10 er than it Is toda .
e ehi Ie afet rules etting
ougher crash test requirements for mall
cars· auld eliminate the di parities in
occupant protec Ion bet een mall and
largecar .
The same technology used to Improve
occupant protection In mall cars could
be used in large cars. The suggestion that
large cars need not meet the same safety
tandards as smaller cars Is a reversal of
prevlou Center for uto afety policy
calling for equal safety standards for aU
passenger vehicl . The center repeatedly ha advocated that pickups and
ans-many of which have good safety
record because they are large-be reqUired to meet the same safety regulations
as automobiles.
For a copy of WJshful Thinking: Com·
ments on th Report liThe Safe Road to Fuel Economy," write: Publications, Insurance Institute for Highway afety. 1005 N.
Glebe Rd., Arlington, Va. 22201.
The nate Environment and Public
Committee has cleared a 105 billion high ay and mas tran it blll that
prolubi Iarg combination truc from
gaining ac
to n highwa and offers
incentives for adoption of motorcycle belm and seat belt use laws.
With current authorizations for highway
and mass transit programs set to expire on
September 30. Congress and the AdmInistration have made passage of a major hlghway bill a top priority. The Senate bill, .
965, sponsored by Senator Daniel Patrick
ynihan.
York Democrat, represents
amajor shift 1rom legislatlon drafted by the
Transportation Department.
Senators Frank R. Lautenberg, e
Jersey Democrat. and John Chaf Rhode
Island Republican. ponsored an amendment 0 ban very large trucks from operatIng in states beyond the 20 here they're
no permitted. In hearin before the
committee, the two senators called double 48-foot trailer and triple length 2
foot trailers a "menace.•
George Parker, National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration
) associate
administrator lor research. testified that
between 1977 and I ,there has been a 40
percent drop in medJum and heavy truckrelated deaths per miles traveled. But most
experience with doubl and triples. Parker testified, has been on good road with
trucking companies' best drivers. NHTSA Is
now condurting research on the rollover
tendencies and rearward sway ampllflcat10n-a ~crack the whip" effect that causes
the reannost trailers to swing from ide-toside during travel.
Allan Williams, research vice president
of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, told the committee that trucks hauling
two trailers are more likely to be in crashes
than are tractors pulling only one traIler.
and doubles are more llkeIy to jackknife.
"In general,.. Williams says, 'he more
trailers or length, the more un table the
combination.·
In other testimony Rep. Jim Cooper,
Tennessee Democrat. praised the bill'
helmet and seat belt use provisions,
ing It would be "cheap simple. and effective." Cooper Is the author of similar legislation DOW pending before the House PubHe Ytbrks Committee. The Senate measure
provides 100 million over three
to
fund an educational and enforcement
grant program for states that enact the
belt and helmet use laws. tates that do
not adopt such laws would be required to
set aside 1.5 percent of their apportionment under the surface transportation
program to be used lor safety programs.
The but ould completely restructure
the aid to federal highways program. The
five-year plan sets aside one-half of the
federal funds for states, which can pend
the funds on an. urface transportation
project: high ays. mass transit, or rail.
The federal go emmenl ouId fund
percent of the project . and the tat
ould provide a 20 percent match. Project are limited to maintenance and improvements for existing facilities. For n
construction the match would be 75 percent federal aid. 25 percent state. The Federal Highwa Administration Is directed to
conduct r earch on Interactive Vehicle
High ay ystem
and other new traffic management
technologies. 13
billion would be
earmarked for repair or replacement of existing
bridges, and $14
Rep. Jim Cooper
billion would be
used for maintenance of Interstate highways. The final
segments of the Interstate system would
be completed 10 Los Angeles and Boston,
ending the Interstate construction program by 1996.
Other than the 3 million earmarked
for helmet and seat belt use laws, no
funds would be set aside for hazard elimination and other safety improvement .
tate , however. would be reqUired to
have management systems for handling
bridges. pavement, safety problems, and a
monitoring system for congestion. Another measure continuing highway safety program grant for states bas been cleared
separately by the Senate Commerce
ence. and Transportation Committee.
"Senate easure" Page 7.)
4-IIHS SIotus Repott. IIJI 26. I/o. 6, Jane 15, 1991
AntiIock Brakes Take
To the Road and MOlt
Trucken Tate to Them
WIlb nearly _ 0011Ioo miles on l!le
rood, _
blUes are wortIng ..II on
a lest fIeel of 200 tractor II3IIers, lhe N..
tIonal Hilhway Traffic Safety AdmlnlslraIkJn (NIrJ'SA) has reported 10
Ni~
C_
po""'" of the 280 operaIon who have driven the lest vthldes ...
port lhey like the systems. And 20 drivers
say the anUlocks 00 their rigs .... crucial
In averting a m.l\.
And in one cue, NHT'SA concluded anlliocks helped Ihe drive, of a suollne
lani<r scrape by a car In his path, saving
lhe motorists from almost certaln death.
As thai Iowa crash Indicates.•AnUloc"
brake systems can, in some Instances.
provide an tltR ...... of performance
thai can d 1lOl10Cally . . . - a
...
due< the smrfty _
of the
•
the report says. (For .... _
oboul
the tanker ....... ",'-I/qon, 1bl25,
. .Utay 19, 1990.)
In 1991 the agency bepn a _you
Oeet lest study of live an_ _ .,..
tern designs. Two hundred trucks were
equipped wilh lhe various .ystem. and 50
more antllock brake-equlpped trailers are
belns added Ihl. year. Separalely the
agency has conducted extensive perfor·
mance lests of various anUloct brakes on
tracton and trallers.
"When these studies have been complded and d the results _ 1 0 be fa.
vorable. the agency will _
whether
ruIemating 10 requIrt AIlS (_ _
system] blUes IS _ed.' the report
say. A1thoush Japan and lhe European
Common Market now require all new
lrucks, buses, and trallers 10 be equlpped
with anlIIock brakes, NtrI'SA IS proceedlns
.Iowly.
The Oeet study estahlisbes lhat the ...
Ulocks are belns acllvaled .IBDilicanlly
more often than anticipated. Dal.
recon1<n lrodna anUIoct brake actJvaUms 00 the lest fIeel show lhe systems
.... actJvaIed most h<quentIy _
Decenber and ftbruary. _
FebnJ.
"" 1990 and AjlfII199O, "!hero wu an ...
""lIt of ooe sIpIfIcanI AIlS _ I (cycling
from two 10 lou, Ilmes) every 846 mUes of
vehicle traver and a -major· event. cy·
mOl live Ilmes 0' more. every 8,353 mUes
of travel. These more serious eveots oc·
curred aboul once a monlh. IDdicating
'5ijplifIao1 saIdy beoeIIts can poleDllally
be derived from equlpplns heavy InIcks
with thts lechooIotIY:
10 Inlervlews 93 pemnI of the drivers
"expressed moderate 10 hJih accqJlance
of AIlS: the report says. SIs pem5l1 ....
11IE NEXT GENFRA110N
- . WAIlCO _
CGaInJI Syo- have bnJoIIllIIlO _ . _ .....atioo, ......1IIIfl ..Uloct brake syst..
that pnwIdes _ _ ........... ellapostles, and .... of iDslaIIaIIoo. lIIe
...... AJ
RoctweII and Ihe Germ.. c. .pany
WAIlCO last yoor jollied fortes 10 pnOJct
and distrlhutt antIIocI<s for the U.s. truct
market. The Ialesl reflnemeots locorpo-
rate suggestions from truck manufacturers, fIeel owners, and dealers, says Larry
\fan Hom, president of the IoIDI _ _
An _
c:ontroI UDIt pnwIdes .....
oootIcs thai pesmll semce - . 10
qulckIy enluate antIloct perforDllllCe
-_!Ileab,_"'~
iaod ... oII ... 11Ie _
. . help
_ - - . says Vlolfora.
The uoIt *» .. A whtn- WtiiiIItID
__
en' atteIItton durInc -!ldau cbecb.
The _ syslem .... JncorporaIe _ _
~aodbnlp_IO
Ie tracIIoo c:ontroI. The computer ......
tire slppiJlloo ifMI. _ orlc:e dorIoi
- . and. by ............... outpol aod brMiD& . . - oplIIIIum drive
ule _
00 JIppery surfaces.
oeutral about aolilods. mostly bec....
they had IlOl _
Affi<quIpped trucks
Iona ....... 10 an ...... Only ooe
pemnI had
-uons ODe drive< sald they _
well 00 __ and Ic:e
but .... '100 louc!Ij<"
One malor diUlculty, says Roberi M.
Clarke, chief of the heavy _ _
dlvlslon, wu adaplloi the European an_ .ystems 10 the 12.... electrical.,..
lem. found on U.S. Iructs. European
InIeks have a 24-vo1lpower supply that IS
suflIdeniiO power AIlS uoIts 00 the trac·
lor and mulUpie trailers.
Mloor annoyances, such u wamiDI
UShl. SOloS oil accldenlally and I....
wlriOS connections, occurred, bUI these
.... seneraJIy easy 10 ropaIr, says Clarke.
Other problems loot more lime 10 solve.
'11 quality control Is kept hlih. and II
IIOOd support Is avaIIabIe.' the ...
port _
'Ibe ~ -... of thts
6eId study _Ilut .....
a-,
and .....letIUC< penpedlve, anUlock
brake .yslems ... be .uccessluJly iJI.
S1a11ed
and moInlaloed
OD
U.S. he.vy
tTucks.• But .... eqJeI'IeIn rib adapI•
i l I - 10 the U.s. truck fIeellS __
ed, the report says. So Iar only ..... 3.000
uoIts have been sold In the United Stales.
Wllh a rulemallios decl.loo elljletled In
1992, Clarke says llee! owne" .hould cooskle< ASS when they buy _ unJts.
The qency bu also concluded thai
mulUpie IraIIen equipped with AIlS pr0bably need 10 be JlClI'l'Iod by a dedicated
circuli. raIhes than by the stop-lamp cir·
c:uiI ......,uy reopired by Federal Motor
_
SaIeIy _121. Astudy of the
..... -
10 traIIinI-l*lic·
ularly multiple uolts. Indicates there
would be _
eleclrldty 10 .......
modale .tale-o!4bNrt anU_. NtrI'SA
now proposes a1teroalives to Iadlilate 10troducUon of antilocb 10 traIJer uoIts.
E... with the addiIIoo of an_ .,..
lems, InIek and bus bratinlI perlormaDces
are ooly asllOOd as the lIIIderIyIns blUes
and tires. "The sIJIIIe IarIlesllac:tor __
iOR Improvement remains brake adjusl-
UHS tc1lus Report, Vol. 25, No.6, June 15, 1991-5
ment and overall brake system maIntenance," says the report. Proper brake adjustment Is crudal for brakes to perform
satisfactorily, but numerous studies document heavy truck brakes frequently are
poorly maintained. Because afr brakes
provide little performance feedback, by
the time drivers realize the brakes are
malfunctlonlng1 there Is little braking ability left. So NHTSA has proposed that
FMVS 121 be revised to require automat-
ic brake adjusters and adjustment indicators on all vehicles with air brakes.
NHTSA is also concerned that truck
buyers continue to specify automatic.
brake pressure Jimjting valves on steering
axles, in tbe mistaken belief that front
brakes may cause loss of control by prematurely locking up during hard braking.
In fact, NHTSA reports, the agency's extensive test program demonstrates that pressure limiting valves actually increase the
chance of a jackknife or trailer swing, because drivers must apply the brakes
h-arder in emergency situations, increasing the risk of drive axle or traller wheel
lockup. The report says NHTSA intends to
eliminate Iimitlng valves soon by specifyIng stopping distance requirements {or air
braked trucks. There bas been no stopping distance requirement for new heavy
trucks under FMVSS 121 since 1978.
6-llHS tatu R port,
~l
26 0.6, June 15, 1991
(Coord from Page I)
administration of Governor George Deukmejian.
l1emlet La ·
WhOle Freedom?
With the recent addJtion of California,
24 tate and the District of Columbia now
requlre all motorcyclists to wear helmets.
Th e la boo t belmet use rate to
nearly 100 percent redu in the number
of brain Injun
tained in motorcycle
h . In ates where helm use' n't
required all riders the use rate is only
about percent.
The tragic consequen of cr hing
thout a helmet are illustrated in a n
In uranc In titute for High a afe
film, Helmet La : ho e Freedom?"
tha features the survivor of a motorcycle
crash wh now requires constant care because of the effects of a brain injury.
The eight-mlnute videotape Is for sale at
25 or available for free loan In 1/2" VHS or
3/4" format. Please specify the format when
orderin from the Communications Department, Insurance Institute for HIghway Safe, 1005 Glebe Road, Arlington, Va. 22201.
biD to reinstate the live mph bwnper
standard for cars bas been Introduc:ed In
the U . Coogress.
Citing Insurance institute for HIghway
crash tests. Representative Anti»
n Bellenson, CalifomJa Democrat, said
that because of eater bumper ·consumers are spending hundreds of mUUons
of dollars in extra repair costs and higher
Insurance premiums because of the extra
damage Incurred In low-speed accidents."
California no has a limited helmet Ia
that applies only to rider up to 15 1/2
years old. T enty-two other tates have
laws that apply only to young riders, usually under age 18. Colorado, lUlnols, and
Iowa have no helmet laws, and Rhode Island requires helmets for passengers only.
The law remains controversial in California, which has 850,000 licensed motorcyclists. FJfort to pass a helmet law in the
Golden State have been tymled since the
1960s. otorcyclist opposed to belmet
la s coos tently prevented earlier bills
from comlng to a vote. For the past 10
yt'MS the proposal has been championed
by Assemblyman Richard floyd, author of
the legislation that
igned and of
previous bills.
An aide to Floyd attributed the passage
of the blU to a coalition of 140 state and
national organizations, iocludlng "every
known medical a soclatlon and all enforcement entities," as well as insurers,
government groups and grass-roots organizations.
The aide also credited research done
by safety groups, including the Insurance
Institute for Highway Safety, that showed
he medical and financial consequences
of motorcycl crash and tbe effectiven of helmet la in reducing serious
Governor Pete Wilson makes il official.
injuri and deaths. Floyd timates the
ietal cos of motorcycle crasb in
California to be between
and 100 milUoo each year.
on:ydIs violating the helmet law
II be ubject to a fine of up to 100 for a
first offense. ond and third offen
within the same year require 200 and
250 fin respectively.
NHTSAPonde
Decl Ion on School
tlamJlD8b
The aUonal Highwa Traffic Safet
dmlnlstratlon (NHT A), after everal
years of tudy. still considering whether
10 improve the flammability istance of
materials used in school bus
The agency, which began review In
19
hartly after tbe fiery crash of a
church bu 10 Kentucky that claimed 27
lives rejected proposals to upgrade standards for aD large buses earUer this year,
but reserved decision on school b
Although a oumber of comment recommended trengthening flammability requirement and applying them to both
school and nonschool buses, NHTSA concluded that an across-the-board upgrade
of the standard was "oot justified from a
regulatory perspective."
hool buses are being considered separately, according to the agency, because
It I the "intent of Coogr: to treat school
bus afety with higher level of importance. In addition school bus sea are
made of differen materials than other bus
seat to meet peciaJ impact protection
tandards. and HTSA has tated that
th crashworthiness requirements may
not be compromised.
has also solicited commen on
related school bus issues, including to city guldellnes the upgrading cost to school
districts, and the possible need for such
modlflcatlons as additional exits.
OHSStatus Report. lbI. 26,
Senate Me
eWould Give NHTSA $81.3 Million
d "DlDer 0 Safety Ite to Spend It On
The
e Commen: Committee has
cleared it fourth legt latfve attempt to
reauthorize the programs of the aUonal
High ay Traffic afety dminl tration
( HTS ) Ince the agency's authorizations expired In 1982.
The Senate has strongly upported vehicle safety initiatives, three times adopting far-rea hin leg laUon. But In the
House. Rep. J hn DingelI, icbigan Dem0crat and dlalrman of the House Energy and
Commerce
Committee.
which has juri diction
regulator
program.
has blocked
even the simplest reauthorization
bill from
rea bing full
pant protection superior to any other
em.• says Bryan. "yet
• current
rul a110 manufacturer to use either
automatic seat belts or air bags. While
most manufacturers are moving toward
air bags on their own, this blll wUl ensure
that the Installation 01 air bag will not
vary from model to model. but will be
available to all.
The agency also wouJd be required to
trengtheo th side impact standard to
lessen the
likelihood of
head injuries
in side Impacts and authorizes the
oIuntary 10-
tallation of
daytime running lights.
Another provision reln7'hetr IS 1IOID,memI ~ thai au bc9111i1h monuaI seal
tates the
bells offer occuptJ1JlS prolrCIiOO superior to any other S]SIem. yet strong 5 mph
committ
The!at t NHTSA S Cllm!RI rules allow manulactu7ers to use either t1JW. bumper stanenate bIII, malic seal belts or air bogs. •
dard can·
celed by the agency In 1982 and requires a
ponsored by Sen. Richard H. Bryan,
disclosure label tell1ng consumers the levevada Democrat and chairman of the
el
01 protection afforded by bumpers.
Consumer ubcommlttee. ts a 1.338
million pending limit (or
' operarudy by the ational cademy of
tions and research programs in 1992, risien es on providing crashworthln
ing to .63i million by 1994.
data to consumers ouId be initiated, and
also would have to conduct ruleThe n measure contains a list of regmaking
on
a rollover prevention standard.
ulatory initiatives to improve the safety of
AnUlock
brakes
for automobiles and light
passenger vehicles that some observers
trucks would be required and the agency
say will receive a cool reception from Dinwould be required to set up a program to
gell. The measure would require
aid
consumers who wish to install rear lap
automak
0 in tall driver and passenand
houlder belt in older automobiles.
ger Ide air bags in passenger cars by the
In the area of chUd safety, booster seats
1996 model year and ets a 199 model
would have to be Improved. In addition a
year deadlln for driver and passenger air
standard
to minimize pedestrian Injuries
bags in all pickups. passenger vans, and
would
be
considered.
multlpurpos vehicles.
The measure also reauthorizes SectIon
"The
no ~neral agreement that
402
and 403 hlghwa safety gran to
air bags th manual seat belts offer occu-
.6, June 15, 1991-7
states and local communities for highway
safety programs, setting a $171.9 million
spending ceiling for the 1992 f1 cal year
and rI ing to 192.1 million by 1996.
The biD also restructures
antidrunk driving programs, combining Section 4 and 410 programs to provide basic and upp1emental grants to states that
adopt and Implement Impaired drivlng en·
forcement programs. E1lgib1llty for the
grants would be tied to adoption of administrative license revocation la and the
eventual introduction of la setting an
0.08 blood alcohol concentration standard
as per se evidence of driving while under
the influence of alcohol. The blll also encourages highway checkpoints to detect
drlnk-driving offender and persons operating under the Influence of drugs, the use
of video cameras for filming suspe(ts. and
confiscation of license plates of offenders
ho have been convicted on more than
one occasion. the program are designed to become self-sustaining through
fees and fines paid by impaired drivers. no
state may be eligible for the federal grants
after five ytmS.
Pe
The National Highway Tralflc Safety
Administration
A) bas denied a Fequ t that the agen establish bumper
height requirement for small true and
sport-util1ty vehicles. The petitlon~ Dr. F.
Wayne tromeyer, asked that the vehicles'
bumper heights be made identical to passenger cars or that they be eqUipped with
underrlde guards.
In' uJng its denial.
tated that
loWering bumper heights would decrPJISe
the abllity 01 the vehicles to •.. clear o~
stades and hazards characteristic of commercial and occasional off-road operation
and would therefore "significantly reduce
the utl1lly of the vehicles."
W
8-l1H.
atus Report, W>l. 26. No.6, June 15, 1991
my impro ement can be made without
sacrificing safety. These include substituting lighter-weight materials.
It is size, more than weight, 0' eill
s essed that is m t important in the
One wa to conserve fuel Is to caU a
halt 0 the performance race.
For every 10 percent decrease in 0 to
60 acceleration time, the Environmental
Protection Agency cakulates there can be
a 5 percent increase in fuel consumption.
(See Status Report, Vol. 25, No.8. Sept. 8,
1990.) In today's tenns, for every second
shaved off 0 to 60 performance, there is
about a 1.3 mpg drop In fuel economy,
says the congressional Office of Technology
ment (OTA).
In recent testimony before the House
ubcommlttee on Energy of the Energy
and Commerce Committee, Brian 0' eill
Institute president. said that by boosting
the zero a 60 acceferation capabUities of
automobiles with ever more powerful engines, automakers trade fuel economy for
higher performance.
"Cars with top speeds ell over 100
mph and drag-racing acceleration capabilities typically
have poor fuel
consumption
and safety
records,"
O'Neill said.
.. ow is the
time to consider controls on
the accelera·
Brian O'Neill
tlon and top
speed capablliti of passenger cars.
"The Increase in performance Ince
I 2 has c substantially in terms of fuel
econom, esti6ed eve Plotkin, a senior
assodat at OTA. By adjusting the 0 to 60
a celeration capablUties of automobiles
and using ever more powerful engines, automaker gained higher performance by
giving up fuel economy.
O'Neill concurred with Plotkin and environmental groups that some fuel econo-
safety debate. The dl tinction is important, be said. because "It means occupant
safety isn't nec sanly at odds with fuel
economy."
oting an OTA proposal that suggests
corporate average fuel economy (CAFE)
standards could be based on vehicle interior size, O'Neill said it makes more sense
for Congress to set CAFE values by vehicle
By tbe 1994 model year, new Ugbt
trucks and vans must be equipped with
cemer, bigh-mounted brake lights and
meet a rookrusb staDdan:I that is similar
to that for passenger cars.
"Increased sales and use of Dgbt Inds
as passenger car ubstitutes have led to
more people being exposed to crashes 10
these vehicles," says Jerry Ralph Curry, administrator of the National Highway Traffic
Safety AdmInistration (NHTSA). People Iitling in pickups, vans, and utility vehicles
"should be assured the sameprotection as
people riding In passenger cars."
The roof crush standard, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 216,
will belp prevent collapse of the passenger compartment in roDover crashes. The
rule appUes to IiJht trucks with a gross vehicle welgbt rating (GVWR) of 6 000
pounds or less.
Requiring the additional brake Ugbt
wiDbeip lower the mDDber of reara c0llisions
because studies indicate the ligb improve braking reaction
time of eImers.
The rule appBes to vans, sport utility
vehicles, pktups and other trucks with a
GVRW under 10,000 pounds, and small
buses.
size cia ,u ing wheelbase and idth
mea urements to establish goal that
would avoid ignificant downsizing.
The ubcommittee is considering proposaJs to improve corporate average fuel
economy (CAFE) standards b 40 to 60
percent by 2001.
e ormance
'-'UILtlJ'
HaveWone
ce
Losses for Damage
Car designated as performance models, primarily because of more powerful
engines, have much higher Insurance losses for both vehicle damage and theft than
other models of the same cars without
perfonnance features.
Twenty.ooe of 22 cars studied had higher colli Ion coverage los es for performance models than for nonperfonnance
models of the same cars. Ford' 1 90
Thunderbird Turbo and Super Coupe models, for example, had 2 percent higher
overaU colDsion coverage losses than 0ther Thunderbird models. Other 19 8-90
model cars with higher collision coverage
losses for perfonnance models Include the
Chevrolet Camaro; Chrysler LeBaron;
Dodge Daytona; Ford Escort, Mustang,
Probe, and Taurus; Honda CRX and Prelude: Mazda MX-6 and RX·7; Mercury
Cougar;Nlssan 300ZX; Pontiac Flreblrd;
Porsche 911 and 944; Saab 900 and 9000;
Toyota Supra; and \blkswagen GoU.
T elve of 15 cars studied bad higher
theft 10 es for performance model :
Chevrolet Camaro; Dodge Daytona; Ford
Escort. ustang, Probe, and Thunderbird;
Honda CRX and Prelude; Mercury Cougar;
Pontiac ftrebird; Saab 900; and I
genGoJl.
a imUar patterns of higher Injury
claim frequencies were found for perfor·
mance cars. These results are from a special report published by the Highway Loss
Data Institute.
1000Slatus Report, Vol. 26, No.6, June 15,
1~1-9
I~
Status Report,
~L
26, No.6, June 15,1991
The ational High a Traffic Safety
Admlnlstra Ion (HT ) 1\1 require
school buses Id after 08. 31. 1992, to
be equipped with a left Ide stop signal
arm. And, if a proposed rule i adopted.
school buses will also gain additional mirror . The rule are designed to protect
children near school bus • where they
are in greater danger than when they are
aboard, say Jerry Ralph Curry, NHTSA
administrator. In a 17 year period, NHTSA
reported 797 fatalities in the school bus
loading area, mostly children under eight
years old.
The stop signal arm, which automatically swing out to halt traffic as children
board or leave a chool bus, is currently
required by 36 tates. In addition 71 percent of new school bu e are equipped
with some type of top arm making the
rule relatively Inexpen lYe to implement,
Curry
In tailing conve cro vie mirror
on school buses ouId provide additional
protecti by Ignlfican Jy expanding the
driver' view of the bus' outside perimet sa Curry. Ute the top Ignat arm,
e ra mirror are already reqUired by
most tates.
(Cont'd from Page 1)
The IRe reviewed 27.629 crashes
oos enough to be reportable to state m~
tor vehic\e departmen "In 39 es and
the District of Columbia. -where crash information was thoUgh to be available to
auto Insurers as of 1990. Only pen:ent
of these crashes appeared on publici
avai\abJe records, down from perteRt In
1983. leading the reJeaI'tbers to condude
that states are coottnulng to weaken their
reporting requirements and to impose new
Hmits 011 public ace to records. The survey also found that only 15 stat record
and make public as many as SO percent of
their reportable acclden ,and even In
those stales, the definition of 'reportable
leaves out many additional acciden .
Crashes are not the only events that
are underreported. Traffic citations and
convictions are also routinely omitted
from state driver records. The study finds
that. "on average, only 19 percent of the
drivers had a conviction recorded In c0nnection with the acddent surveyed, even
though well over 60 percent of the drivers
were considered legally at fault."
Some of this underreporting Is directly
attributable to the practices of courts and
motor vehicle departments. Asurvey of
50 states and the District of Columbia,
conducted by the Insurance Institute for
Highway Safety in cooperation with the
IRC, revealed that drivers are often able to
expunge violation , sometimes Including
serious offenses urn as drunk driving,
from their records.
For example, CalIfornia, 'Ii
Dlinois
Utah. Kentucky. and Arizona have specific
programs allowing driver ho attend
driver improvemen courses to eep
traffic conviction off their official
records, despite the fact that such coorshaven't been ho n to improve the
subsequent crash rates of participating
W
drivers, according to a study by the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
In Florida, the report notes, "judges and
clerks of court 'withhold adjudication' of
32 percent of traffic citations statewide so
they wool be reported to Insurers and employers. In some other states, deferred
sentencing programs allow convicted D»
torists to be DIODitored for a specified perioct Hthe driver remains convIc:tkJo.fre
during that time. the violation I'BDOVed
from the court file and not entered on the
motor veb1cIe department record.
Variations in crash reporting requirements within states and from ODe state to
another further obscure the pubUc record.
There are also disparities In the rate of ~
Uee arrivals at the scene of crashes In dlfferent stales, and in the IikeIibood of tickets being issued. The IRC study not that
"Alabama and Ohio drivers were I0 times
more likely to have traffic conviction
recorded on their records than drivels In
MaIne and
Hampsbire."
For a copy of the report. Adequacy of
otor Vehicle Records In Evaluating Driv-
er Performance,w write: Insurance Reearch Council, 1200 Harger Road, uite
310, Oak Brook, 01., 60521. Telephone 70s.
572-1177. Copies are $7.50 each in the U .,
12 elsewhere, postpaid
IN rnurE S11IDY
An Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety survey of motor vehicle departments in 50 states and the District of
Columbia found that many state and local
practices adversely aHect the completeness of driver records. These range from
policies that Umit the public accessiblBty
of records to programs that enable drivers
to have violations dismissed.
For a copy of the report, "Completenes of Driver Records by Adrian .
Lund. Denise 11uun. and Carol ~
write: PubIk:aIioos. Iosurance
e for
HIghway Safety, 1005 • Glebe Road, Arlington. ... 22201.
UHS Status Report, Vol. 26, No.6, June 15, 1991-11
Large trucks in Great Britain wiD be
equipped with speed limiters that restrict
their top speed to 60 mph. In announcing
the proposed regulation, Malcolm Rifklnd,
secretary of state for transport, cited the
propensity of truck drivers to ignore posted speed Umlts and the "enormous der
structive potential of their vehicles In a
high speed collision." The regu.lation
would apply to truck trailers up to four
years old and to all new trucks over 7.5
tons. In March of this year, 10 people died
and 25 were injured in a major motorway
collision and fire Involving several cars
and trucks. The crash fed growing concerns about the hazards of speeding and
about the increasing number of car fires
triggered by colllsions.
The population death rate from motor
vehicle crashes in the United States Is
twice as high as in ChIna. But China's rate
has been rising in the last decade and will
continue to increase with industrialization
unless the country incorporates lessons
from highway safety research in the developed nations. That'~ the conclusion of researchers at the Injury Prevention Center,
Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, who compared Chinese injUry
data based on a 100 million population
segment for 1986 to U.S. data. Although
the population death rate Is higher here,
the authors point out that there are many
fewer vehicles in China, and that the
death rate per 100,000 motor vehicles is
more than lQ times America's r-ate.
Alarmed over the rising number of traffic fatalities In Ja-pan, the Ministry of
Transport plans to develop an Advanced
Safety Vehicle (ASY) that wiu Incorporate
a range of new safety measures. By adapt.
Ing conventional technologies and pursuing advances in "lnteJligent~ vehicle design, the ministry expects to have a prototype ASV developed by 1996, and to Introduce vehicles based on the project find·
ings to the marketplace by 2001.
About Stl percent of the drivers involved in Intersection collisions In Melbourne, Australia, did not see the other
vehicle or pedestrian soon enough to
avoid a crash, according to a study by the
Australian Read Research Board. After analyzing over 500 intersection collisions, researchers concluded that lack of visibility
contributed to many more co1llslons than
expected. To reduc.e this risk, the board
recommends mandatory use of daytime
running lights, and an increased emphasis
on field of view and visual obstructions
durjng driver training and in the media.
Drivers shown on popular American
television programs are less ~ely to be
wearing seat belts and more likely to be
driving dangerously than those featured
on Australian TV: Astudy commissioned
by Australia's Department 01 Transport
and Cammunicatlon also found that domestic productions were IIl,.ore Jlkely to
"actually depict positive road safety messages" than their American counterparts.
The study, however, was m re critical of
Australian advertising. Jt revealed that
commercials often used car cr shes for
comic effe.ct in ads for other products,
and that alcohol advertising stressed the
connection between drinking and "ideal
life-styles."
Almost 60 percent of New Zealand residents polled by the Ministry of Transport
favor raising the minimum driving age to
17 years or more. That matches the response received In their 1985 survey and
is up from 50 percent in 1975. It Is possible
to receive an unresftlcted license at 16
years of age: in New Zealand. Learners permits and restricted licenses are available
beginning at age 15.
CHILD RFSTRAINTS
EventIo Is recalling 14,387 Ulfara II
chlld safety seats that fall to meet the
safety standard of the National Highway
Trafflc Safety Administration (NIffSA).
Tests performed by the agency and
confirmed by EvenflO: show that the Ultara
nseat would allow a child's head to move
too far forward in a crash when the seat Is
used in a front.facing position, aceording
to NHTSA. The company Will proVide owners of tbe seat, manufadured between
January 5 and June 18, 1990, With a new
shell and instructions on attaching it to
the existing front T-shleld. Evenflo's other
seat mOdels, including the Ultua I, are not
included In the recall.
Owners of the Ultara ncan contact the
manufacturer by calling 1~7.g926, or
by writing to Evenflo, 1801 Commerce
Drive, Piqua, Ohio 45356.
\\>I. 26, No. 6, June 15, 1991
On The Inside
DIlI\'ER RECORDS are often misleading
sources of Information, and the problem's
growing
Page I
CAIJRlRNIA passes a moton:yc\e helmet
~w after Y"MS of debate
Page I
IUD. ECONOMY: Center for Auto Safety
report called "wishful thinkin( by the InPage I
stitule..
CHILD SEATS: Chrysler unveils built-in
cIlIId salety ts
.Page 2
1AIlGEIlTllUCIS: Senate proposal prohibits IaJier trucks from gaining access to
new highways
.Page 3
AHIlLOCIIIRAIES Dnd fa",r with trucI<.
en in lest lIeel
Page 4
ROClWELL I WAICO market a fourchannel antl\ock brake system..........Page 4
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lSSN 0018-988X
HEIJI[J' lAWS: New institute film shows
the consequences of crashing without a
motorcycle hehnet
Page 6
IIlJIIPf1l BILL: Hoose bill would reinstate
the 5 mph bumper standanI
Page 6
I1AIIMAJIIUIY STANDAJlI) of school bus
...IS is stili WIder review
Page 6
NH1SA IEAlIIHOIIIZATIOII: Senlte bill
Page 7
focuses on salety inltlatlws
IIlJIIPEIIIDGII1! 00 smalilrucks and
sport-utlllty vehicles will not change,
NIflSA says
Page 7
RI1 alIII5EINlIION is I loser in the performance race
Page 8
UGHT 1IlIOS IWIS 10 meet new safe.
ty ruIes
Page 8
INSlJIANCE LO!i!IfS are higher for performance modeis
Page 8
SCHOOL BUSf.S: New rules will protect
children coming and going
Page 10
INsrrrtrrI sruoy finds stile and local
practices adversely affect the completeness of dmer n:conls
Page 10
AROUND THE WOIUl: Large trucks In
Gloat Britain will be equipped with speed
lImften that restrtcI top speed to 60 mph.
And more
_
Page 11
OIIUI mTIAIHI'S: E _ n:caI\s more
than 14,1XMl Uhara 0 cIlIId sealS ..... .Page 11
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