Mocs News Reporting the news that matters most to UTC
By: Brandon Ngeth
CHATTANOOGA, TENN. (mocsnews.com) – The NHTSA is pushing for new rules requiring automobile manufacturers to redesign some of their vehicles in the U.S. market. This rule is mainly targeting the ever-growing SUVs and trucks that are responsible for nearly half of all pedestrian deaths when struck by the front of a vehicle.
This rule will require the U.S. to tighten regulations to match a global pedestrian safety rule focusing on vehicles made uniquely for the U.S. market. In the U.S. alone through August, almost 79% of all new vehicle sales were SUVs and trucks according to Motorintellidence.com
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation is saying that companies have already designed and developed crash avoidance technology in an attempt to make the roads more safe. The rule will require new tests and procedures, one of which is to simulate head-to-hood impact. NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman stated. “This proposed rule will be designed to protect those inside and outside from serious injury or death.”
Just last year the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety conducted a study and found that vehicles with a hood height greater than 40 inches are about 45% more likely to cause deaths in pedestrian crashes over vehicles that have hood heights of 30 inches or lower with a downward sloped hood. There is also concern with the width of the pillars that hold a vehicle’s roof up in larger vehicles. These pillars come with larger blind spots that can make checking your surroundings more difficult.
Automakers and the public are allowed to make comments on the proposal for 60 days. After this time has passed NHTSA will draw up its final regulation.
