Preliminary Regulatory Impact Analysis; New Requirements for Passenger Cars to Meet a Dynamic Side Impact Test FMVSS 214

摘要

The analysis describes a proposed amendment to FMVSS 214 (Side Door Strength) which would require passenger cars to meet a new dynamic test. NHTSA is proposing a test in which a passenger car must protect its occupants in a full-scale crash test in which the car is struck in either side by a moving barrier simulating another vehicle. Test dummies would be positioned in the target car to measure the potential for injuries to an occupant's thorax and pelvis. This side impact analysis reviews the proposed dynamic test procedure, the moving deformable barrier, the side impact dummy, the injury criteria, and the costs and benefits of various alternatives which NHTSA believes can meet the proposed requirements and will improve safety in side collisions. Test results from some passenger cars undergoing the dynamic test procedure, as well as test results from vehicles with increased padding and structure are presented and analyzed. The target population, in terms of the number of injuries and fatalities in side impacts, and the estimated benefits of padding and structural improvements are estimated.