Vehicle Safety Standards Explained
All of the regular sedans, coupes, convertibles and station wagons are called ‘passenger cars’ in the eyes of the safety authorities. As such, they have to meet a host of safety standards.
Here is a sampling of what the safety standards specify:
A car must be able to withstand a 50km/h crash into a fixed barrier without leading to the death of a properly restrained occupant (i.e., one wearing a seat belt).
Interior surfaces must absorb crash energy and protect the occupants if they get flung about. This is why we have padded dashboards, hcadliners and door trim.
The roof structure must be able to bear the vehicle’s weight in the event of a roll over accident.
An impact from the side must not penetrate directly into the car. This led to the installation of steel guard rails inside passenger car doors.
The steering column must be able to absorb crash energy. This usually takes the form of collapsible steering columns and padding in the centre of the steering wheel.
There must be combination lap and
shoulder-belts for both front and rear outboard passengers.
The seats must protect the two principal front seat passengers from whiplash, hence the use of head restraints of high-back bucket seats.
The fuel lank is not allowed to rupture in a rear impact. Since this standard was enacted, most cars have had their fuel tanks moved to the rear axle area, or under the rear seat-far away from the rear bumper.
The front and rear bumpers must be able to sustain an 8 km/h bump without there being any damage to the car’s light or body structure.
The American government passed a law stating that all cars must come with some form of ‘passive restraint’ system - one where the passenger does not have to do anything himself or herself to protect themselves in an accident.
The result has been installation of either air bags or ‘automatic’ scat belts (ones that are permanently buckled and which encircle the front passenger and driver when they get into their seats and close the door).
Although cars today are safer than ever before, vehicle safety standards continue to evolve, as do the testing procedures. We will, over the next decade, see the imposition of even more stringent safety measures to protect the occupants of passenger cars in a variety of situations.
Crash test results for various brand-new car models are published every few months. There is a great deal of publicity surrounding these crash results, leading many car buyers to look at them seriously when making a decision between otherwise equally desirable automobiles.
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Tags: Cars