Energy absorbing steering columns were installed in passenger cars in response to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 203. The columns are designed to compress at a controlled rate, cushioning the impact of the driver's chest in frontal crashes. Standard 204 specifies requirements limiting the rearward displacement of the steering wheel toward the driver. The objectives of this Agency evaluation are to determine how many driver fatalities and injuries are prevented by Standards 203 and 204, to measure the actual cost of the standards, to assess cost effectiveness and to describe the actual crash performance of equipment installed in response to the standards. It was found that: (1) Standards 203 and 204 are cost-effective and have significantly reduced driver fatalities and injuries in frontal crashes; (2) standards 203 and 204 have added $10 to the lifetime cost of owning and operating a car; (3) energy absorbing steering assemblies have been partially successful in cushioning the driver; and (4) standard 204 has substantially reduced rearward displacement of the steering column in crashes. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting