Public Citizen is not alone in criticizing NHTSA’s proposed roof crush rule. Kennerly Digges, a crashworthiness engineer and a former NHTSA official, has submitted comments condemning the proposal. Digges warns that the proposed regulations will “increase rather than decrease the rollover casualties that can be attributed to roof intrusion.”
Drawing on research conducted at George Washington University, Digges identifies numerous problems. The current proposal requires only a single static roof test, which does not represent rollover conditions that cause life-threatening roof collapse in real-world crashes. Additionally, if the proposal pre-empts tort law as intended, car manufacturers could legally design roofs that completely collapse in rollover accidents after the vehicle’s windshield breaks.
IN-DEPTH:Follow this link to read Digges’ full comments: http://www.autohazardsinfo.org
