Submit your claim details for a free, no obligation case review.
Get Started:
The Public Citizen consumer group said the federal government missed an opportunity to save thousands of lives and avoid thousands of injuries resulting from vehicle rollovers. According to the consumer group, the long-delayed roof crush rule proposed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration fails to comply with new safety mandates issued by Congress just last month.
The last time the government upgrades its rules for roof strength was more than 30 years ago. The proposed rule tests roof strength on one side, but the highway funding bill requires roof strength be tested both on the driver and passenger sides of a vehicle.
Joan Claybrook, Public Citizen President, issued a statement citing information that rollover crashes are responsible for about a fourth of all traffic fatalities and about one-third of all occupant fatalities each year. In 2004, 10,553 people died in rollover crashes, and the NHTSA has estimated roofs crush in during roughly one quarter of all rollover crashes.
Despite the high frequency of roof crush in rollover accidents, the consumer group said most auto manufacturers already produce vehicles that can pass the weak test that is not adequate enough since the forces in rollover crashes exceed the amount the roof is designed to withstand. The NHTSA still does not require real world crash tests, known as a dynamic test, to gauge roof strength, according to Claybrook, despite SUV rollover deaths up nearly seven percent and the feasibility to make much stronger roofs.
Claybrook was head of the NHTSA from 1977 to 1981, and believes the agency’s single most effective step it can take is to ensure occupants survive when vehicles rollover.
Copyright © 2001 - 2012 Online Lawyer Source
ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT—Thank you for your visit. The content published on this website was not written by medical professionals and should not, at any point, be mistaken for medical advice. Furthermore, the information on this site is intended for educational purposes only and should never interfere with a patient/site visitor and his or her healthcare provider. In addition, viewing the content on this website, requesting additional information, or transmitting information through a contact form should never be considered the formation of an attorney-client relationship. The material published on this site is general and may not apply to your specific circumstances. Every case comes with its own set of unique circumstances; past success discussed on this site does not guarantee future performance. Information found on this website should not be used as incentive to act without seeking counsel from a professional. For more information, please read our disclaimer.