Vehicle safety

technologies, challenges, and research development expenditures for advanced air bags. United States General Accounting Office Report to the Chairman and Ranking Minority Member, Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, U.S. Senate.
Author(s)
United States General Accounting Office GAO
Year
Abstract

One hundred seventy five fatalities - primarily children and small women - have been attributed to the deployment of an air bag in relatively low-speed crashes as of April 2001. Advanced air bag systems tailor the deployment of the bags to the characteristics of the occupant and different levels of crash severity. On May 12, 2000, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a rule requiring vehicle manufacturers to install these systems in an increasing number of vehicles over several years beginning September 1, 2003. The General Accounting Office (GAO) was asked to report on the development of technologies that vehicle manufacturers plan to use to comply with the advanced air bag rule. They examined (1) current availability of and planned improvements to advanced air bag technologies; (2) challengers, if any, that the industry faces in complying with the rule; and (3) changes in federal and industry expenditures on the research and development (R&D) of advanced air bag technologies since 1998. Briefly results of GAO's review indicate that some advanced air bag technologies are currently being installed in vehicles and others are still being developed. The principal advanced technology that is currently being installed in some vehicles is air bags that can inflate with lower or higher levels of power - rather than a single level - depending on the severity of the crash. The key new technologies that manufacturers plan to introduce are occupant classification sensors that can distinguish among infants and children (as well as their safety seats), and adults on the passenger side. The primary challenge in meeting the requirements in the advanced air bag rule is the development of occupant classification sensors that are accurate, durable, and suitable for mass production. The development of occupant sensing technologies is taking longer than anticipated. Expenditures on advanced air bag R&D by NHTSA and vehicle manufacturers have increased since 1998. Expenditures by vehicle manufacturers seem to have increased about 275% from 1998-200, and are anticipated to increase overall by about 375% from 1998 to 2003, when the requirements in the advanced air bag rule take effect. (Author/publisher)

Publication

Library number
C 30435 [electronic version only]
Source

Washington, D.C., United States General Accounting Office GAO, 2001, 43 p.; United States General Accounting Office Report to the Chairman and Ranking Minority Member, Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, U.S. Senate ; GAO-01-596

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