Nhtsa Roof Crush Standards

Nhtsa s findings will form the basis for the long awaited proposed rulemaking to improve the roof crush resistance standard which is a relic from the 1970s and was intended as a temporary stopgap to dynamic rollover testing that was unanimously opposed by the industry.

Nhtsa roof crush standards.

The manufacturers knew how to produce a safer roof car but they maintained the law did not require it. Supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking snprm. Federal motor vehicle safety standards. New standard nhtsa s proposed overhaul of its standard for roof crush resistance will require increased roof strength for most vehicles.

It was until in 1971 the nhtsa tackled the roof crushes rollover accidents. As of 2009 under the new standard the car roof must withstand three times the curb weight of the car without the 5 000 pound maximum limit. The independent nonprofit insurance institute for highway safety released a study that describes the inadequacy of the latest roof crush standards proposed by the national highway traffic safety administration. It asks the public for its views and comments on what changes if any are needed to the roof crush resistance standard.

On the other hand since the targa roof which begins at the b pillar position and continues by means of the rear glass window to the rear body deck is a fixed rigid structural member that provides the targa with a roof from that point to the rear which roof meets regulatory roof crush standards where the entire roof is non structural. For the vehicles currently subject to the standard passenger cars and multipurpose passenger vehicles trucks and buses with a gvwr of 2 722 kilograms 6 000 pounds or less the rule doubles the amount of force the vehicle s roof. Roof crush resistance 222 13 kb final rule. 216 roof crush resistance.

Upgrades federal motor vehicle safety standard fmvss no. 216 roof crush resistance to reduce injuries and fatalities in passenger cars pickup trucks vans and multipurpose passenger vehicles resulting from roof intrusion during rollover crashes. This notice is a request for comments to assist nhtsa in upgrading the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. The ability of a vehicle s roof to resist being crushed is closely correlated to the risk of injuries and fatalities in vehicle rollovers which currently account for more than 10 000 deaths each year in the united states.

For now nhtsa s roof crush standard remains at three times the vehicle s weight an improvement over the previous standard but not as stringent as that suggested by iihs. Nhtsa roof crush standard. So many fatal accidents happened and the nhtsa finally approved strict roof crush standards that took effect in 2012.