People Safe In Rollovers February 2007
An American Auto Safety Tragedy: ROOFROOF CRUSHCRUSH
In 1962 the Impact and Roll-Over Test Procedures Subcommittee of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) was formed in order to develop test procedures for evaluating vehicle structural integrity under various types of impacts. (Deadly By Design reference 14) The subcommittee's members included representatives from General Motors (and Fisher Body - a division of General Motors), Ford Motor Company, Chrysler Corporation, Kaiser Jeep Corporation, International Harvester Company, Volkswagen of America, Inc. and American Motors Corporation. (DBD - 15) In June 1963 the subcommittee developed and approved the SAE Recommended Prac- tice, "Roll-Over Tests Without Collision - SAE J857." (DBD - 16)
On October 6, 1966 the Secretary of Commerce announced the development of initial Federal motor vehicle safety standards pursuant to the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966. (DBD - 34) The Static Crusher was then being developed at Fisher Body by James Augus- titis, an associate senior research engineer. (DBD - 35) Fisher Body was responsible for building the vehicle bodies for General Motors.
In August of 1967 the Impact and Roll-Over Test Procedures Sub- committee developed and approved SAE Recommended Practice, "Inverted Vehicle Drop Test Procedures - SAE J996." (DBD - 36) By mid August the subcommittee's work on test procedures was nearing comple- tion. Members used the top drop test procedures as a means for obtain- ing values for drop height and encroachment distance. The procedure was designed to be a repeatable and reliable test methodology. It was concluded that initially vehicles should be dropped from 2 feet. (DBD - 37)
Only a week or so after the subcommittee's Inverted Drop Test - SAE J996 was approved, and the recommended drop height of 2 feet was initially established, Fisher Body dropped two 1967 Chevrolet "B" 4 door hardtops from 6 inches which resulted in 8 inches of dynamic intrusion. (DBD - 38) Fisher Body tested the same 1967 Chevrolet "B" 4 door hardtop with the static crusher and the vehicle's roof withstood 6000 pounds with just 3 inches of crush. (DBD - 39) People Safe In Rollovers February 2007
Immediately after General Motors' vehicles failed the two drop tests on September 6 and 7, Ed Klove of Fisher Body prepared a proposal of a Roof Crush Test Procedure. (DBD - 40) P.O. Johnson of Fisher Body (and also a subcommittee member) presented Klove's proposal to the SAE Impact and Roll-Over Test Procedures Subcommittee on September 29, 1967. Klove's proposal stated its advantages: "more impressive numbers are obtained - three inches crush for 6000 lb. load. (A six inch vehicle drop height allowing eight inches crush is not impressive)." (DBD - 41) Fisher Body now realized that all their vehicles would not even meet a drop height of 6 inches. (DBD - 42) Klove's proposal dared to pose the ques- tion, "Who can say that it does not provide as good a measure of vehicle safety as does an inverted drop test?" (DBD - 43) It was Klove's idea to sug- gest this test procedure as an alternative method of showing compliance. (DBD - 44) Fisher Body's nickname for the Static Crusher was "GOLDFINGER." (DBD - 45)
On December 8, 1971, NHTSA adopted General Motors' proposal (one that GM's vehicles could already pass) (DBD - 47) and announced that FMVSS 216 was being created as a temporary alternative to FMVSS 208 rollover testing. (DBD - 60) The December 11, 1971 NHTSA News Release read: "The new standard is intended as an alternative to Standard No. 208 rollover test, and will become effective on August 15, 1973. After August 15, 1977, Standard 216 will no longer be a substitute for rollover test of Standard 208, and is expected to be revoked by then." (DBD - 61)
On August 15, 1977 NHTSA did not revoke FMVSS 216 and substitute it with the rollover Standard 208 as was originally planned. In the last 35 years there has been no dynamic rollover requirement implemented for FMVSS 208 or any other federal motor vehicle safety standard and there have been no upgrades to FMVSS 216 other than extending the same passenger car roof strength requirements to light trucks and vans in 1991. (DBD - 62) The result is what you see on the following pages. The auto manu- facturers are aware that there is no occupant survival space built into the design of these vehicles in the event of a rollover accident.
It is not just 10,000 deaths and 16,000 seriously injured in rollovers each year, it is entire families that are torn apart in a split second for each of these deaths and serious injuries. This is truly an American auto safety tragedy. ROOF CRUSH VICTIMS
John Hess Robbie Lambert 28 year old 18 year old Paraplegic passenger Quadriplegic belted driver
1975 Ford F-150 1985 Chevrolet S10 Blazer
Kimberly Schute Raleigh Allen Paraplegic 35 year old 16 year old belted driver Fatality belted driver
1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
Frank Bolf Amy Chestnutt 42 year old 21 year old Quadriplegic belted passenger Fatality belted driver
1997 GMC Sierra 1992 Chevrolet Suburban ROOF CRUSH VICTIMS
Robert Granger Patrick Parker Ventilator Quadriplegic 17 year old 37 year old Brain Injury belted passenger Quadriplegic belted driver
2001 Ford SuperDuty 1995 Chevy Suburban F250 SuperCab
Bing Lin Duan Jessica Garcia 65 year old 16 year old Fatality belted passenger Fatality belted passenger
1999 Chevrolet Astro Van 1993 Ford F-150 Pickup
Francie Cohen Claudette Phillips Severe Brachial 36 year old 39 year old Plexus Injury belted driver Quadriplegic belted driver
1999 Ford Windstar 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee ROOF CRUSH VICTIMS
Erika Janeth Sierra Romero Yvonne Graham 30 year old 50 year old Fatality belted driver Brain Damage belted driver
2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer 2000 GMC Jimmy
Loa Griesbach Gloria Montanez Ventilator 18 year old Fatality mother Quadriplegic belted driver belted driver
1999 Chevrolet Suburban 1996 Dodge Ram 1500 Pickup
Raul Ibarra Penny Shipler 12 year old 30 year old Fatality belted passenger Quadriplegic belted passenger
1998 Ford Explorer 1996 Chevrolet S10 Blazer ROOF CRUSH VICTIMS
Benetta Buell-Wilson Leticia Valencia 47 year old 35 year old Paralyzed belted driver Fatality belted passenger
1997 Ford Explorer 1998 Chevy Tahoe
Lambert Cox Ricky Hughes 57 year old 30 year old Quadriplegic belted driver Quadriplegic belted driver
1994 GMC Yukon 1988 C/K Pickup
Claire Duncan Sonya Savant Duhon Fractured Skull 26 year old 24 year old Fatality belted driver Quadriplegic belted driver
2000 Ford Explorer 1995 Ford Explorer ROOF CRUSH VICTIMS
Frances Oxendine Anita Bushong 54 year old 32 year old Fatality belted driver Quadriplegic belted driver
2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer 1993 Nissan Pathfinder
Phillip Blanchard Joanne Barker Neck & Spine 57 year old belted driver Fatality 34 year old Injuries Positional Asphyxia belted driver
1994 Ford Explorer 1999 Chevy S10 Blazer
Jeanine Valenti Michelle Lowery 34 year old 34 year old Quadriplegic belted driver Paraplegic belted driver
1994 GMC Jimmy 1997 Silverado 1500 Pickup ROOF CRUSH VICTIMS
Frank Floyd Heath Charles H. Jordan 18 year old Fatality - Blunt Force 60 year old Fatality belted driver Trauma to Head belted driver
1996 Chevrolet Suburban 2000 Sierra 3500 Pickup
Mark R. Pixley Brian Stocker 43 year old 40 year old Quadriplegic belted driver Quadriplegic belted passenger
1997 Chevrolet Suburban 1998 Chevy S10 Blazer
Daniel Shannon Fred Douglas Boyd Fatality 42 year old Ejection 54 year old belted driver Fatality rear seat passenger
1998 Chevrolet S10 Pickup 1989 Ford Bronco II ROOF CRUSH VICTIMS
Ching Wai Kee Christopher Lee Cowan 43 year old 29 year old Quadriplegic belted passenger Fatality belted driver
2003 Chevrolet Extended Cab 1996 GMC Jimmy Silverado Pickup
Robert Disque Joshua Mull 19 year old Ejection 15 year old belted Quadriplegic belted driver Fatality front seat passenger
1999 Ford Explorer 2-door 1988 Chevrolet S10 Pickup
Monica Flores Katelyn Cahill 26 year old 16 year old Quadriplegic belted passenger Paraplegic belted passenger
1997 Chevy Tahoe 2-door 2002 Ford Explorer 2-door ROOF CRUSH VICTIMS
Jose H. Gonzalez Adam Robert Dylewski 53 year old 24 year old Fatality belted driver Fatality belted driver
1996 Ford Explorer 2002 Chevrolet Blazer 2-door
Landon Groff Janet Marie Scott 19 year old 43 year old Quadriplegic belted driver Fatality belted passenger
1999 Chevy Silverado K1500 1995 GMC Suburban
Devin Brian Newton James William Long Cervical Fracture 25 year old 16 year old belted driver Quadriplegic belted driver
1992 GMC Yukon 1985 Chevrolet S10 Pickup ROOF CRUSH VICTIMS
Thomas V. Milo Tabatha Tartar 29 year old 16 year old Fatality belted driver Quadriplegic belted driver
1992 Chevrolet S10 Blazer 1991 Chevrolet S10 Blazer
Matthew W. Alan Felipe Alvarez Fatality 36 year old 25 year old Severe Head Trauma belted driver Paraplegic belted driver
2001 Ford Explorer SportTrac 1996 Chevrolet S10 Blazer
Louisa Zepeda Atkinson Roelga Sarmento 50 year old 53 year old Fatality belted driver Quadriplegic belted driver
1997 Chevrolet S10 Blazer 1988 Chevrolet S10 Blazer ROOF CRUSH VICTIMS
Azucena Duran Timothy John O‘Reilly Traumatic 44 year old Fatality 36 year old Brain Injury belted driver belted driver
1998 Chevrolet Blazer 2000 Ford Explorer
Jessie Marie Varelas Terry Tripp 33 year old 34 year old Quadriplegic belted driver Fatality belted passenger
2002 Chevrolet Blazer 1993 Chevy K1500 Blazer
Billy Wayne King Lonnie Harrison Lusk 31 year old 49 year old Quadriplegic belted driver Quadriplegic belted passenger
1989 Sierra 1500 Pickup 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer