Car safety factors to become more visible for consumers

Kick the tires. Check under the hood. All finished and ready to buy? Not really. What about the most important component of any new vehicle: safety? Sure, you can check for yourself online or elsewhere, but do you really have authoritative answers? Maybe not – not yet. But starting with 2010 model cars, you will. When they hit dealerships in 2009, they’ll be the first to be sold under improvements to a federal government five-star safety rating program. As a result we will have – for the first time – an overall safety rating combining side, frontal and rollover crash tests. New cars also will gain a first-time rating on new crash-avoidance technologies, such as lane departure warning systems, electronic stability control and forward collision warning systems. This rating will alert consumers as to whether such elements are optional or standard features on the new vehicle they’re considering. Until then, you should do all you can to check out a car’s safety before you buy it. Getting a car in your favorite color is one thing. Having a car that’s as safe as possible is everything.

SUV Roof Crush|Double Lane Change

Are SUVs Crashworthy?

They are big. They make you feel safe. But under certain circumstances the SUV is a hearse. It’s a vehicle that can easily take your life in a rollover accident or inflict catastrophic, life-altering injuries. Some experts say, the very height and size of an SUV limits its crashworthiness. Manufacturing defects, such as weak roofs and improper safety restraint systems, further reduce the SUVs ability to protect passengers in accidents. Not one single SUV received the highest safety rating awarded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association in 2003. In 2005, NHTSA reported that approximately 10,000 people die each year in vehicle rollover accidents, many in SUVs. Sixty percent of these victims weren’t wearing seatbelts. According to data in 2007 from Consumer Reports, another 24,000 victims suffered catastrophic injuries including paralysis and brain damage in rollovers.

The Danger of the Double Lane Change in an SUV

The rate of SUV rollovers is two to three times greater than that of cars. Because SUVs have a higher center of gravity and because their height makes them more top heavy, they are more prone to rollover, especially when swerving abruptly to avoid hitting an object or person. Double lane-change is a test that measures the maneuverability of the SUV. In real life, a double lane change often occurs when an SUV driver is trying to avoid an accident. This sudden maneuver can easily cause the SUV to tip on two wheels, resulting in a roll over. This type of rollover occurred frequently in 2000 with Ford/Firestone vehicles, leaving hundreds dead and many more injured.

Tragedies Caused by SUV Roof Crushes

In rollover accidents, roof crush is the primary cause of serious injury and death. In 2005, NHTSA estimated that there are 596 fatalities and 807 serious injuries annually caused by passenger contact with a collapsed roof during a rollover crash. An SUV needs a strong roof to create the “survival space” necessary to protect occupants during a rollover crash. Despite heavy criticism from vehicle safety advocacy groups, SUV manufacturers are not installing the types of roll bars needed to protect occupants during rollovers. Manufacturers say it’s the force of the impact that causes injury and death, not the design of the roof. As long as they resist new roof safety designs, thousands of catastrophic injuries and deaths can be expected each year.

New Roof Standards Not Implemented

In 1973 the government created the Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 216 that measures the integrity of roof structure in motor vehicles. Under this standard, a roof pillar on a passenger car cannot deform more than five inches when subjected to a force 1 ½ times the vehicle’s weight or 6,000 lbs. Since this test applies only to vehicles that weigh six thousand pounds or less, and since most SUVs weigh more than that, they are virtually exempt from this 30-year-old compulsory standard. In 2005, NHTSA proposed a new roof crush standard that would increase vehicle weight to 10,000 to include SUVs. By March 2008 it had still not been approved.

SUV Safety Ratings | Crash Test Rating

Are you driving a car that can kill you in a minor accident? If it’s an SUV, it could. “In 2005, 60 percent of SUV occupants killed in crashes were in vehicles that rolled over.” And SUVs have a greater propensity in that regard. Despite the stabilizers on newer models, they can still roll over in minor accidents at low speeds due to their height and weight. Once an SUV is hit and it begins to slide sideways, it can easily roll over if it is “tripped.” What could “trip” an SUV? As the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety reports, it can be “a curb, guardrail, tree stump or soft or uneven ground… or when a driver tries to turn an SUV too aggressively at high speed.” If and when an SUV rolls over, occupants are subject to catastrophic injuries from SUV roof crush injuries.

A New Crash Test Reveals Additional Faults

A recent test done by the IIHS shows that “side and rear impact crashes remain a weakness” in midsize SUVs. “The worst performers in the side crash test were the Jeep Liberty, Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Nitro and Kia Sorrento, all 2008 models,” according to a recent CNN report. The fault lies with airbags and how well they protect occupants in serious side crashes. An IIHS spokesman said, “SUV’s should have an inherent advantage In such crashes because drivers and occupants ride up higher than in cars….but many cars perform much better in our side test than some of the SUVs in this group.” The Institute’s tests also show that the Jeep Cherokee and Chevrolet Trailblazer are “among the worst performers” in new tests at 31 mph. And two of Nissan’s midsize SUVs must be equipped with optional side airbags to perform well even at this speed. The bottom line should give consumers pause when it comes to serious side crashes in these SUVs.

Brain Damage Lawyer | Air Bag Injuries

Drivers who are vulnerable can’t avoid air bag injuries unless they disable steering wheel air bags. Air bag deployment is automatic when a car is hit hard enough in an accident. An air bag explodes out of the steering wheel at 230 mph with 1200 lbs of force. If it strikes a driver in the face and the driver survives - a big “if” – the brain may never recover from the blow.

Who are the most vulnerable drivers? Small women who have to sit closer to the steering wheel than 10 to 12 inches are the most likely candidates for air bag injuries, including brain hemorrhage, severed brain stem, broken neck, facial fractures, blindness and other catastrophic injuries. The original standard for airbag development was the average man - 5 ft. 8 inches tall, weighing 180 lbs.

Is that discrimination against women? If it is, the federal government is leaving them at risk until 2012. That’s when new federal rules governing air bags go into effect, mandating car manufacturers to make air bags “as safe for women and children” as they are for the standard sized man. A word to the wise is necessary here, however. Anyone, man, woman or child, can suffer traumatic injuries if they are too close to an air bag when it is released from the steering wheel, the dashboard, or the side of the car.

Airbag Fraud | Air Bag Repair

A February 2008 Reader’s Digest article “Dashboard Danger” is about airbag fraud, a new scam that puts lives at risk. As the magazine reports, if you bought a used car, you may not have an air bag at all. The space where it belongs could be stuffed with newspaper. Or, it could hold the wrong air bag for your vehicle if it’s been replaced after a wreck. The magazine says buyers have no dependable way of knowing if a car they are buying has been in a crash. Many depend on Carfax and AutoCheck for histories on cars they are considering. But consumer advocates warn that is dangerous. Internet sites may not have all the vital data needed to make an informed purchase. The Readers Digest article warns that: “…airbag fraud is widespread, persistent and deadly these days.” The best protection is to use common sense when it comes to air bag safety. Always ask about air bags when buying a used car. Know what air bags are standard for the model of car you are considering. Ask the dealer to certify that the air bags are in the car and that they have been installed correctly if they have had to be replaced.

SUV ROLLOVERS STILL THREATEN DRIVERS

While new models of SUVs have been improved to combat the vehicle’s propensity to rollover, thousands of older SUVs are still on the road, exposing drivers and passengers to catastrophic injuries, killing and maiming those who bought the vehicles for “safety.” While the SUV created the illusion of safety on the road because of its size compared to other vehicles, the image was deceiving. The older SUV is three times more likely to rollover than any other passenger vehicle, according to SUV Rollover Statistics www.onlinelawyersource.com. SUVs had the highest rollover rate of any vehicle involved in fatal crashes and the highest rollover rate for passenger vehicles in injury crashes. And rollovers are the deadliest types of accidents.www.pbs.org. They frequently cause head trauma - the most serious type of fatal and nonfatal injury in a rollover, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (www.suvrollovernews.com). Adding to the danger, “…the overwhelming majority of rollovers occur during ordinary situations,” says NHTSA, when a driver swerves to avoid a stopped car or accidentally veers off the road. Because the SUV has a higher center of gravity, it is less stable on the road. Defective tires have also played a role in older SUV accidents. And particular models of older SUVs are noted for being involved in serious rollover accidents. “In 2003, almost 4,500 people died in SUV accidents, a twenty two percent increase from 2001.” www.onlinelawyersource.com. Since older SUVs have none of the new built-in safety features that make them less likely to roll over, drivers of older models would do well to consult an attorney if their SUV is involved in an accident to make sure their legal rights are protected.

18 WHEELER ACCIDENTS TO INCREASE?

American drivers beware. Trucks are expected to carry 70 percent of all the freight moved across the U.S. by 2018, making them the largest mode of freight transport in the country. Meanwhile, government efforts to improve the safety record of big rigs and other trucks is moving slowly in some respects and lagging in others. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says action to prevent medically unqualified drivers from operating commercial vehicles is unacceptable. According to the NTSB, “Many commercial drivers whose serious medical conditions are known to their employers, health care providers and others are never reported to the appropriate motor vehicle licensing authorities….endangering the drivers and others.” www.ntsb.gov. The NTSB is also working to get trucks off the road faster if inspectors find mechanical problems or drivers that are unqualified. In March 2007, at the urging of the NTSB, The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) appointed experts from trucking companies, safety advocates and law enforcement to tackle the problem. The NTSB rates progress in this area “slow but acceptable.”

WANT TO SEE A BIG TRUCK HIT A CAR?

The legal weight for an 18-wheeler is 80,000 lbs. That’s 4 tons, my friend. The curb weight of a 2005 Toyota Camry is 3,164. So, it’s no contest, dude, when one of the big guys hits one of the little guys. Since “seeing is believing” as the old saying goes, click on www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePrD3oe8UIY That will drive it home. Car crashes with 18-wheelers can be deadly. Victims often wind up with catastrophic injuries to the brain and spinal cord. It’s best to consult an attorney right away after an accident with an 18-wheeler since some states have time limits on how long you can wait before you file suit. And be extra cautious on the highway around a big rig. Small mistakes at high speeds can be fatal.

LEADING KILLER OF YOUNG AMERICANS:

Research! America and SAFE USA report that accidents are the leading cause of death in Americans age 45 and younger. Car crashes accounted for most of the deaths

Cell Phone Driver Case Nets Victim $21.6 million:

A jury in Florida took less than two hours to reach a verdict that gave a multi-million award to the family of a woman struck by a driver using a cell phone. The inattentive driver rear-ended the victim. The impact sent the victim’s car hurtling across the median into on-coming traffic where it was struck by two vehicles. The victim died at the scene. The jury determined that the cell phone driver’s negligence was the sole reason for the accident. Learn why it’s so dangerous to use a cell phone while driving. The Adler Network has the story at www.jimadler.com with Adler personal injury attorney Andy Wilbur.