NEWS    RECALLS    COMPLAINT FORM    SCAM ALERTS   RESOURCES  
Small Claims Guide   Class Actions   Lemon Laws   FAQ   Newsletters  


Complain about a product or service

Automotive    Education    Employment    Electronics    Family    Finance    Health    Homeowners    Pets    Shopping    Travel   



NEWS   Latest |  Archives |  Auto |  Cells, etc. |  Computers |  Financial |  Health |  Homeowners |  Parents |  Privacy |  Scams |  Seniors |  Travel

Feds Delay Roof Strength Rule




Advertisement

By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.com

May 29, 2007

Rollovers

Cars that Pass National Rollover Standard May Still be Deadly
Feds Delay New Roof-Crush Rule til October
Report: NHTSA Seeks More Time for Roof-Crush Rule
Senators Seek Delay in New Roof Strength Safety Rules
Senators Question Roof Strength Safety Rules
Nader Protests Feds' Roof Crush Plan
Treacherous Treads Still Taking Lives
Ford Class Action Settlement Leaves Consumers in the Dust
Feds' Roof Crush Rule Inadequate, Critics Charge
New Study: Stronger SUV Roofs Save Lives
Ford Loses $82 Million Rollover Verdict Appeal
Feds Delay Roof Strength Rule Again
Ford Settles Explorer Rollover Lawsuits
Safety Crusaders Seek Action on Roof Crush Injuries
Roof Crush Summit Highlights Safety Shortcomings
Feds Ignore Roof Crush Conference
Feds Delay New Roof Strength Rule
GM to Offer Rollover Airbags, Ford to Strengthen Roofs
Safety Groups Want Earlier Stability Control Rule
---
More about Rollovers ...

Federal regulators are delaying a decision on a new rule to require increased vehicle roof strength, one of the nation's most important vehicle safety issues facing consumers.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration officials are headed back to the drawing board to write the regulation that will require automakers to better protect passengers in rollovers.

NHTSA announced the delay in a notice posted on the Department of Transportation Web site. The agency said it will be unable to issue a final rule by August 31 on toughening roof crush resistance standards as the agency had promised.

NHTSA plans to issue a revised preliminary proposal by late September and finalize the rule by July 2008, as required by Congress.

NHTSA spokesman Rae Tyson told reporters the agency is conducting additional research in an effort to make sure it arrives at a workable regulation. "We want to get it right," he said.

The federal roof standard has not changed in more than 30 years despite NHTSA regulations updating most other major auto requirements.

Rollovers account for 3 percent of the nation's vehicle crashes and roughly 33 percent of fatalities. In 2005, rollover deaths increased 2.8 percent to 10,816.

In August 2005, NHTSA announced a proposal to require that a vehicle roof withstand a force equal to 2.5 times the vehicle weight while maintaining sufficient head room for an average adult male. The current standard requires a roof withstand 1.5 times of the vehicle weight.

Safety advocates at the time characterized the rule as inadequate and charged that the rule would not address the pressing need to save thousands of lives from rollover crashes.

The auto industry, however, is skeptical about the need to make roofs heavier and stronger pointing out tradeoffs in fuel economy and vehicle stability. Automakers said that the NHTSA proposal would add between 38 to 68 pounds to pickups and 60 to 67 pounds to larger SUVs. Going to a higher standard could add up to 270 pounds for light trucks.

NHTSA said the new timetable for a roof strength rule is to resubmit its rule to the Office of Management and Budget by the middle of June and publish the revised proposal by late September. NHTSA plans to give the public two months to comment.

Safety advocates are also pushing for new roof strength tests to accompany any new rule.

Joan Claybrook, a former NHTSA administrator who now heads Public Citizen, said a new test would do a better job of assessing the strength. "We don't like to see the delays, but we hope to get a test that lives up to what Congress required," Claybrook said.



Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Asterpix

CONSUMER NEWS

SAFETY RECALLS



PRINT, ETC.

Print This

Email This


FREE CONSUMER NEWSLETTERS

The Daily Consumer
Afternoons M-F

Sign up now!


Consumer News & Alerts
Every Sunday

Sign up now!

MOST-VIEWED PAGES

NEW COMPLAINTS

Hey there! ConsumerAffairs.com is using Twitter.
Twitter is a free service that lets you keep in touch throughout the day. Join today to start receiving ConsumerAffairs.com's updates.



Back to the top |

Advertisement


Custom Search
AUTOMOTIVE
• Dealers
• Manufacturers
• Service
• Extended Warranties
• Lemon Laws
• Recalls
• Tires
• Transporters

FAMILY
• Aging
• Children, Parenting
• Recalls
• Dating
• Education
• Entertainment
• Pets
• Weddings
FINANCE
• Annuities
• Banks
• Credit Cards
• Debt Collection
• Debt Counseling
• Insurance
• Investing
• Loans
• Mortgages
• Payday Loans
• Student Loans
• Tax Prep

HEALTH
• Doctors
• Drugs, Pharmacies
• Health Clubs
• Hearing Care
• Hospitals
• Nursing Homes
• Nutrition, Diets
• Vision Care
• Weight Loss
HOMEOWNERS & RENTERS
• Appliances
• Cookware
• Furniture
• Home Improvements
• Lawn & Garden
• Movers
• Pools & Spas
• Realtors, Rental Agents
• Recalls
• Utilities

ELECTRONICS
• Cable TV/DBS
• Cameras
• Cell Phones
• Computers
• Home Electronics
• Internet Access
• Local Phone Service
• Long Distance
• VoIP
SHOPPING
• In-Home
• Online
• Retail Stores
• Sporting Goods
• Supermarkets
• Telemarketers

TRAVEL
• Airlines
• Bus Lines
• Car Rental
• Cruises
• Hotels
• Travel Agents
• Trains

RESOURCES
• Class Actions
• Complaint Form
• Small Claims Guide
• Lemon Laws
CONSUMER NEWS
• Latest News
• Automotive
• Telecom
• Financial
• Health
• Homeowners
• Scams
• Seniors
• Travel
• More ...

RECALLS
• Automotive
• Children's Products
• Drugs
• Food
• Household Products
• Sporting Goods

ABOUT US
• FAQ
• Privacy Policy
• Advertise With Us
• Newsroom
• Syndication
• Terms of Use

Terms of Use Your use of this site constitutes acceptance of the Terms of Use

Advertisements on this site are placed and controlled by outside advertising networks. ConsumerAffairs.com does not evaluate or endorse the products and services advertised. See the FAQ for more information.

Company Response Welcome If complaints about your company appear on our site, we welcome your response. Please see the Response Form for more information.

For more information, see the FAQ and privacy policy. The information on this Web site is general in nature and is not intended as a substitute for competent legal advice.  ConsumerAffairs.com Inc. makes no representation as to the accuracy of the information herein provided and assumes no liability for any damages or loss arising from the use thereof. 

Copyright © 2003-2009 ConsumerAffairs.com Inc.  All Rights Reserved.    The contents of this site may not be republished, reprinted, rewritten or recirculated without written permission.