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Press
Release |
Contact: Linda Wagner |
Yonkers, NY - May 25, 2000 -In response
to a 1996 petition from Consumers Union (CU), the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced today that the agency
will put in place a five-star ratings program that compares the
relative stability of new motor vehicles. NHTSA's goal is to allow
consumers to consider the risk of rollover as they decide which
vehicle best suits their needs. NHTSA proposes using a vehicle's
static stability factor (SSF) as the primary comparative element of
this consumer information program.
"In the overall picture, we are pleased that
NHTSA, after granting our petition for a consumer information program
about SUV rollover risks, is now trying to give consumers some basis
on which to assess and compare a vehicle's rollover propensity," said
Dr. R. David Pittle, CU Senior Vice President and Technical Director.
"We think it's an important safety issue, and we are hopeful that
after the public comment period, NHTSA's final action will help
consumers make safer purchase decisions."
"We are also pleased that, by relating the
static stability factor (SSF) (1)
to its own dynamic testing research,
NHTSA has recognized the value of dynamic testing as a basis for an
information program. We hope that, with this new program, the agency
has overcome the many shortcomings it had previously associated with
SSF as a measure of rollover propensity."
"While CU believes, based on many years of
testing experience, that dynamic tests would likely provide consumers
with more pertinent and reliable information," added Dr. Pittle, "we
approach NHTSA's proposal with an open mind. CU engineers and
research staff will analyze NHTSA's proposal to assess its value to
consumer safety. We will then advise both NHTSA and our readers of
our conclusions."
CU has always favored dynamic tests of vehicle
performance for much the same reasons CU favors performance tests of
other products. "When we evaluate any product, we make every effort
to test that product in as close to real world conditions-i.e.,
having the product perform its essential tasks-as we can," Pittle
continued. "Dishwashers, for example, are evaluated by measuring how
well they clean soiled dishes, glasses, and flatware. The same
philosophy guides all of our test programs."
Specifically with respect to rollover
stability, CU has previously taken the position that a dynamic test
is preferable. According to David Champion, director of CU's Auto
Test Division, "In the public comment period, we'll be raising
several questions to determine whether or not NHTSA has met its goal
of providing valuable comparative information to consumers. Unlike a
static measure, a dynamic test evaluates the whole vehicle's
performance, which includes many more variables than vehicle track
width and center-of-gravity height. It also reflects the stability of
the vehicle in real-world driving situations, which takes into
account the vehicle's suspension and tires, and the presence of an
active stabilizing system."
Sally Greenberg, Senior Product Safety Counsel
at CU noted: "The problem of rollover is an important safety issue
for all vehicle occupants. Rollover accidents are especially deadly:
62% of those who died in SUV crashes were involved in rollovers. With
greater number of sport utility vehicles on the road today and their
corresponding tendency to rollover at a rate of nearly three times
that of passenger cars, making safety information available to
consumers through an agency program is more critical than ever."
In August 1996 CU asked NHTSA to develop a test
and ratings program to compare the rollover propensity of SUV models
and publish the results for consumers to consult before buying or
leasing a vehicle. In granting the petition in May 1997, NHTSA called
CU a "welcome partner" in the development of a program.
Comments on NHTSA's program should refer to
Docket # NHTSA-2000-6859 and be delivered within 60 days to:
Docket Management Room PL-401
400 Seventh St., SW
Washington, DC 20590
_______
Footnotes:
(1) SSF is the ratio of two aspects of the
vehicle: center of gravity and track width (The SSF is computed as
T/2H, with H being the height above the ground of the vehicle's
center of gravity and T being its track width).
Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer
Reports, is an independent, nonprofit testing and
information-gathering organization, serving only the consumer. We are
a comprehensive source of unbiased advice about products and
services, personal finance, health, nutrition, and other consumer
concerns. Since 1936, our mission has been to test products, inform
the public, and protect consumers.
Check out the following speech: "SUV
Rollover and Stability Control - A Consumer View" -- speech by CU
Technical Director Dr. R. David Pittle (5/16/00)
