Nov 9, 1996 ... Mazda Improves Its MPV ... Mazda MPV into a barrier at 5 mph, it .... are 1996
mooels except ror the Wirldstar (1995) and Trans Sport (1997).
Driver Death Rates, see p.4
INSLlRAf\.CE INSllTlffi FOR
HIGHWAY SAFETY November 9,1996
Vol. 31,No. 9
Bumpers on Passenger Vans Provide Varying Protection From Damage in Bumps; Mazda Improves Its MPV There's not much good news to report from this year's round of low-speed crash tests. In general, the performance of bumper systems on nine passenger vans in 5 mph impacts varies from just
acceptable to poor. But there's a bit 01 good news, too. Last time the Institute bumped the Mazda MPV into a barrier at 5 mph, it
was the 1994 model. Damage was so extensive that the vehicle couldn't even be driven (see Status Report, Vol. 29, No. 1, Jan. 8, 1994). The 1996 MPV is essentially the same vehicle with one important difference - improved bumpers and the result of this improvement shows up in reduced repair costs after 5 mph
crash tests.
"The MPV still isn't doing as well as it should,~ Institute President Brian O'Neill cautions. ~It's in the middle of the pack, but about average is a lot better than the last time when the MPV was the worst performer in all of our 25 years of low-speed crash testing," O'Neill also explains that Mthe main reason we conduct low-speed crash tests is to supply consumers with comparative
BEST OF THE LOT BUT STILL ONLY ACCEPTABLE
2 Status Report, Vol. 31, No.9, A'ov. 9, 1996
The 1994 MPV's bumper perIonnsnce was sbysmsl. n W8Sthe worst vehicle the Institute ever lesled al5 mph. The 1996 MPV performed aboul average - nothing to brag abouI, but at least it didn't rack up Ihe mosl damage in 25 years of low speed tesling. And it was Ihe best performer in Ihe rear-inlo-pole test.
The worst performer among passenger vans In the rear-Intopole tesl was the Toyota Previa. It racked up more than $2,000 damage in Ihis lesl alone - more than $4,000 in a series of four crash tests al5 mph, making Ihis among the worst overall passenger van performances.
information about similar vehicles. This, in turn, puts some pressure on manufacturers to improve their products, to make their vehicles more resistant to damage in low-speed impacts like those that occur so frequently on today's crowded streets." Wide Range of Damage: Overall, the nine passenger vans the Institute tested vary widely in repair costs in the 5 mph tests, which include front- and rear-into-full-width-flatbarrier, front-into-angle-barrier, and rear-intopole. Ford's Aerostar fares worst with a total 0115,754 damage (see table, lacing page). The two best vehicles are the Honda Odyssey and Ford Windstar, both of which sustained almost $4,000 less damage than the Aeroslar in the same four tests. The Nissan Quest performed nearly as well. ~Being called the best in this group just means acceptable performance, not good,"
O'Neill points out. ~There's still about 52,000 damage in these very low-speed impacts, but at least the Odyssey and Windstar didn't sustain much damage in the two least demanding tests, the flat-barrier ones." Flat·barrier tests spread the force of impact evenly across the whole front or rear of a vehicle instead of localizing it. Neither the Odyssey nor \Vindstar sustained any damage beyond the bumpers in these two tests. Other vans didn't fare as well. One passenger van, the Chevrolet Astra, sustained nearly $1,500 damage in the front-into-flat-barrier test. And two other vans, the Aerostar and MPV, sustained more than $1,000 damage in the rear flat test. The most demanding of the four lowspeed crash tests is the rear-into-pole, and only the Odyssey and MPV sustained less than SI,OOO damage in this impact. Three
passenger vans - the Aerostar, Toyota Previa, and Pontiac Trans Sport - sustained more than 52,000 damage. Why the MPV Improved: From the 1994 to 1996 model year, the Mazda MPV didn't change much. The body desi~1J1 is essentially the same. But repair costs for damage to the 1996 model after the Institute's four crash tests at 5 mph amount to less than half as much as repair costs for the 1994 MPY. In fact, the earlier model sustained the highest damage repair total in the history of the Institute's low-speed tests - $8,362 worth of damage (1996 dollars) compared with 13,865 this time around. Most of the improvement results from significant changes Mazda made to the rear bumper system on the 1996 MPV, cutting damage in the rear-int(}-pole test by a dramatic 86 percent. Now the MPV is the best
Status RefXld, Val 31, Na. 9, Nav. 9, /996 3
DAMAGE REPAIR COSTS Passenger Van Performance in Crash Tests at 5 Miles per Hour
Honda Odyssey LX
Front Into Barrier
Rear Into Barrier
S 80
S 338
S 961
$1,897
0
63
749
1,_
408
0
569
2,189
692
321
1,054
3,832
549
295
852
3,759
764
1,211
1,400
3,865
674
917
660
4,402
1,465
839
1,815
5,121
851
1,142
1,652
5,754
Front Into Angle Barrier
Rear Into Pole
Total Damage
Average Damage per Test
1995-97 Models
Ford Windstar GL 1995·97 Models
Nissan Quest XE 1996-97 Models
Dodge Grand Caravan SE 1996-97 Models
Pontiac Trans Sport 1997 Models
Mazda MPV LX 1996-97 Models
Toyota Previa OX SIC 1994-97 Models
Chevrolet Astra lS 1995·97 Models
Ford Aerostar XlT 1992·97 Models
Note: Pa.ssenger vaO'ls lested are 1996 mooels except ror the Wirldstar (1995) and Trans Sport (1997). The Trans Sport is new for the 1997 model year. Bumpers on the other passenger vans tested are essentially the same lor 1996-97 or longer, as Indicated. Repair coSls reflect september 1996 parts and labor prices.
performer among the nine passenger vans in this crash test. What are the changes? The reinforcement bar in the rear bumper system was substantially beefed up. Plus, the distance the rear bumper extends out from the MPV body was increased from just over an inch to about four inches. These changes prevented the pole from contacting the tailgate in the rear·intl>-pole test at5 mph, confining nearly all of the damage to the bumper system. In contrast, the MPV's entire tailgate had to be replaced after the rear-into-pole test of a 1994 modeL
What They're Made or: Passenger car bumper systems usually include a reinforcement bar plus energy-absorhing material like foam underneath a plastic cover. This isn't necessarily so among passenger vans. There's often very little structure designed to absorb
energy in low-speed bumps - sometimes no foam at all under the bumper cover. ~The Aerostar has a particularly poor bumper system," O'Neill notes. "There's just nothing there to keep the energy of a lowspeed crash away from this van's body." The Previa has some energy-absorbing foam in its rear bumper, but not much. On the other hand, the Ford Windstar's bumpers are designed more like those on many cars. There's a reasonable amount 01 foam in both the Iront and the rear to cut down on damage. Rules for Passenger Cars Doo't Apply: When it comes to the bumpers on passenger vans, there are no requirements to ensure that manufacturers pay attention to damage resistance. The exception is the Odyssey, which is classified for regulatory purposes as a passenger car.
Car bumper rules aren't as strong as they used to be, but at least they exist. They require bumpers to keep damage away from car bodies in 2.5 mph front· and rear·intoflat-barrier impacts. Damage is allo.. . ed to the bumper itself. "The manufacturers of most of the passenger vans the Institute tested apparently haven't made much eUortto ensure that the bumpers do what they're supposed to do, which is bump without damage in low-speed impacts," O'Neill explains. He adds that "if other manufacturers made the same ellort Honda does with the Odyssey, we'd see improvement across the board. Ford tries with some models, but then appears to ignore bumper performance on vehicles like the Aerostar. And the bumpers on General Motors' new van, the Trans Sport, are a big disappointment."
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6 Status Repol1, Vol. 3/, No.9, Nov. 9, 1996
Michigan Adopts Three-5tep Licensing, Including a Curfew, in Latest System To 'Graduate' Teenage Drivers Michigan Joins Rorida and Connecticut as Elements of Graduated Licensing Find Their Way Into State Laws [t soon will be harder to get a license to drive in Michigan. Beginning next April, young drivers must hold a learner's permit lor a minimum 01 six months. This will be the first phase of the state's three-step licensing system. At age 16, drivers whose parents certify that they've completed 50 hours of driving may then get their restricted licenses, which also must be held for at least six months. During this stage, teenagers will be subject to a night driving curfew beginning at midnight. Teens who successfully complete these two stages and who are at [east 17 years old may then advance to the third licensing stage - full privileges behind the wheel. Michigan joins Florida in enacting a graduated licensing system for beginning drivers. Florida also has a six-month holding period for learner's permits plus a night driving curfew that applies to 16 and 17 year-o[ds. There are special alcohol restrictions lor young drivers (see Status Repori, VoL 31, No.7, Aug. 10, 1996). The law in Michigan already specifies a lower blood alcohol concentration for young drivers
than for others - 0.02 percent compared with 0.10 percent. Graduated licensing is aimed at reducing beginning drivers' crash risk by phasing in lull·f1edged licensure. Restricting the time and manner 01 driving in stages allows new drivers to acquire on·thNoad experience in lower risk settings belore getting their unrestricted licenses. Restrictions are lifted gradually and systematically until young drivers graduate to full-privilege licenses. ~We commend Michigan, especially for including the night driving curfew in the new law," says Institute Senior Vice President Allan F. Williams. "Curfews are a critical element of graduated licensing systems, and Institute surveys show they have the support of parents." Ninety percent of parents of 15 yearolds in Florida endorse the curlew provision. So do 82 percent of parents 0115 year-olds in Connecticut, where a night driving curfew provision was debated but dropped before the state's new licensing law was approved earlier this year. Young beginners in Connecticut will be required to hold their learner's permits for at least six months, beginning in 1997, so that full-privilege licensure is delayed for six months- from age 16to 16-1/2. These are the [atest findings of an Institute survey un· dertaken to gauge what parents think of licensing law changes and how they react to the overall concept of graduated licensing. More than 80 percent of parents of 15 year-o[ds in both Connecticut and Florida said their new Ii·
Status Report, Vol. 31, No.9, Nov. 9, 1996 7 censing laws are an improvement compared with their old laws, even though there's recognition that both parents and children will be inconvenienced to some extent. Aquarter of the parents surveyed said they're in favor of even tougher licensing requirements. The Institute also found strong sui>port lor graduated licensing among the parents of high
school seniors in three other states - New York, Nev.' Jersey, and Delaware. For a copy of "Views of Parents of Teenagers About Graduated licensing Systems~ by A.F. Williams et al., write: Publications, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 1005 North Glebe Road, Arlington, VA 22201.
NHTSA Budget Includes Side Impacts After four years 01 questioning the need for side Impact crash tests, Congress finally gave the National Highway Trafftc Safety Administraboo (NHTSA) the go-ahead IOf sde impacts bot nixed a request lor funds to do frontal offset testing NtfTSA's total budgellor fiscal 1997, which began October 1, IS S301 minion, up $24 mmion from last year but $51 minion less !han requested. Included are $132.6 mulion for operations/research and $168 million for highway safety grants. Instead 01 func!lng frontal offset tests, Congress gave NHTSA S340,000 to develop a safety standard for offset crashes and directed the agency to harmoOlze the standard with Europe and Australia. The Institute already conducts frontal offset tests. Such tests also are conducted in Australia, Germany, and the United Kmgoom. Side Impact tests will join full-width frontal tests in NHTSA's 18-year-old New Car Assessment Program. NHTSA also ",ust come up WIth a pla'llo harmonlze its standard with the one specified in Europe and repol1 back to CongrESS next spring on the Slatus. To support harmoniZation of safe~ standards, appropri,rors allocated $246,000. New Car Assessment Program funds amount to $2.79 mmion. about a $1 millioo in· crease. Side impact tests are getting S850,000, frontal mpacts $1.69 million, and con· sumer education $247,000. Funding for NHTSA's safety performance standards office, formerly rulemakmg, is $3.8 million. up S3OO,OOO from last year but nearly $2 million less than requested. Congress refused to lund a $1.5 minion ~nvironmental impact StL.dy NHTSA would use lor fuel economy rulemaking. The money Nas denied last year, too. NHTSA was directed 10 spend 5137,000 to educate people about the dangers airbags pose to childntn and 5250,000 of the $7.45 million biomechamcs budget to 'esearch how child restraints interact With airbags. Of the $556,000 btxJgetlor speed and unsafe driving research and activities, NHTSA is directed to condUCl a $100,000 study of the effect 01 last year's repeal of the national speed bmit. There's also $1 million for driver fatigue and sleep diSOfders research. Congress directed NHTSA 10 conduct a $100,000 field evaluation of breath alcohol ignition interlocks to delermine if fhey're "successful in preventing drunk drivers from becoming repeat offenders." To construct the National Advanced Driving Simulator, $14 million is Included in the Federal Highway Administration's $337 million budget for inle1ligent transportation sys· lems. In February. NHTSA awarded a $34.1 million contract to build the full-molionbased simulafor at lhe UniverSity ottowa. Funding for the vehicle safety assurance office. formerly enforcement, is $9.87 mdlion, up $1.96 million !rom last year. The reseateh aM ana1yos budget" $39 1 mrllion, up nearty $8 million but shor1 01 the S56 millon request. Alcohol incentive grants received 525.5 mll\iorl, and state and community grants got $'28.7 milfion
STATUS ~~; REPORT 1005 North G6ebt Raid Arllllgloo. VA'l22Ol (7(l3) 24j·I500 FAX (703) 247-1678 httlXl/www.hwysafety.orS D1rooorol Publicalw!Edltor: Anne Heming
Wnler: Kim Stewart Editorial Asliistant Carlene Hughes ArIlhrK10r .Ioyce Thompson
Tbt lmiA"aooo mtdlll~ lot HigtJWlIy SaIety is ~ indepmdtflt. nonprofit sclmlillc IIld educ.ltiolql orgilD.iu.tioll dedicated 10 rNucinl the Io55tS - dulhs, Injuries. IIld property damage - from crnhts on the nation's hlgt.. WiYS The !nslliule 1, wholly supported by aulO Inturt".
Cootents may Oe publl$htd whole or In part with aUribulion, This pub\lcallool5 printed on recycled paper.
*
ISSN 0018-988X
Vol. 31, No.9, November 9,1996
On the Inside Bumpers 00 passenger vans vary widely in how well they resist damage in
low-speed impacts
p.l
Driver death rates are published for 199Q.-94 models during the calendar period 1991·95 p.4
Michigan's graduated licensing law includes a night curfew provision lor
young beginners
p.6
NHTSA's new budget includes funds for side impact testing and direction to harmonize with European test p.7
