People Safe In Rollovers February 2007

An American Auto Safety Tragedy:

ROOF CRUSHROOF CRUSH 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 hardtopwith the static crusher and the vehicle's roof withstood 6000 pounds with just 3 inches of crush. (DBD - 39)

ROOF CRUSH

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.

1975 Ford F-150

Paraplegic 28 year oldpassenger

John Hess

1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee

ParaplegicKimberly Schute

1997 GMC Sierra

Quadriplegic 42 year oldbelted passenger

Frank Bolf

1985 Chevrolet S10 Blazer

Quadriplegic 18 year oldbelted driver

Robbie Lambert

2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac

Fatality 16 year oldbelted driver

Raleigh Allen

1992 Chevrolet Suburban

Fatality 21 year oldbelted driver

Amy Chestnutt

35 year oldbelted driver

ROOF CRUSH VICTIMS

1995 Chevy Suburban

Ventilator QuadriplegicBrain Injury

17 year oldbelted passenger

Robert Granger

1999 Chevrolet Astro Van

FatalityBing Lin Duan

1999 Ford Windstar

Francie Cohen

2001 Ford SuperDutyF250 SuperCab

Quadriplegic37 year old

belted driver

Patrick Parker

1993 Ford F-150 Pickup

Fatality 16 year oldbelted passenger

Jessica Garcia

1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Quadriplegic 39 year oldbelted driver

Claudette Phillips

65 year oldbelted passenger

Severe BrachialPlexus Injury

36 year oldbelted driver

ROOF CRUSH VICTIMS

2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer

30 year oldbelted driver

Erika Janeth Sierra Romero

1999 Chevrolet Suburban

Loa Griesbach

1998 Ford Explorer

Raul Ibarra

2000 GMC Jimmy

Brain Damage 50 year oldbelted driver

Yvonne Graham

1996 Dodge Ram 1500 Pickup

Fatality motherbelted driver

Gloria Montanez

1996 Chevrolet S10 Blazer

Quadriplegic 30 year oldbelted passenger

Penny Shipler

18 year oldbelted driver

12 year oldbelted passenger

ROOF CRUSH VICTIMS

Fatality

Ventilator Quadriplegic

Fatality

1997 Ford Explorer

47 year oldbelted driver

Benetta Buell-Wilson

1994 GMC Yukon

QuadriplegicLambert Cox

2000 Ford Explorer

Claire Duncan

1998 Chevy Tahoe

Fatality 35 year oldbelted passenger

Leticia Valencia

1988 C/K Pickup

Quadriplegic 30 year oldbelted driver

Ricky Hughes57 year old

belted driver

26 year oldbelted driver

ROOF CRUSH VICTIMS

Paralyzed

Fractured SkullFatality

1995 Ford Explorer

Quadriplegic 24 year oldbelted driver

Sonya Savant Duhon

2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer

54 year oldbelted driver

Frances Oxendine

1994 Ford Explorer

Phillip Blanchard

1994 GMC Jimmy

Jeanine Valenti

1993 Nissan Pathfinder

Quadriplegic 32 year oldbelted driver

Anita Bushong

1999 Chevy S10 Blazer

34 year oldbelted driver

Joanne Barker57 year old

belted driver

34 year oldbelted driver

ROOF CRUSH VICTIMS

Fatality

1997 Silverado 1500 Pickup

Paraplegic 34 year oldbelted driver

Michelle Lowery

Fatality Positional Asphyxia

Quadriplegic

Neck & SpineInjuries

1996 Chevrolet Suburban

18 year oldbelted driver

Frank Floyd Heath

1997 Chevrolet Suburban

Mark R. Pixley

1998 Chevrolet S10 Pickup

Daniel Shannon

2000 Sierra 3500 Pickup

60 year oldbelted driver

Charles H. Jordan

1998 Chevy S10 Blazer

Quadriplegic 40 year oldbelted passenger

Brian Stocker 43 year old

belted driver

42 year oldbelted driver

ROOF CRUSH VICTIMS

Fatality

1989 Ford Bronco II

EjectionFatality

54 year oldrear seat passenger

Fred Douglas Boyd

Fatality - Blunt ForceTrauma to Head

Fatality

Quadriplegic

1996 GMC Jimmy

43 year oldbelted passenger

Ching Wai Kee

1999 Ford Explorer 2-door

EjectionFatality

Robert Disque

2002 Ford Explorer 2-door

Monica Flores

2003 Chevrolet Extended CabSilverado Pickup

Fatality 29 year oldbelted driver

Christopher Lee Cowan

1988 Chevrolet S10 Pickup

Quadriplegic 19 year oldbelted driver

Joshua Mull 15 year old belted

front seat passenger

26 year oldbelted passenger

ROOF CRUSH VICTIMS

Quadriplegic

1997 Chevy Tahoe 2-door

Paraplegic 16 year oldbelted passenger

Katelyn CahillQuadriplegic

1996 Ford Explorer

53 year oldbelted driver

Jose H. Gonzalez

1999 Chevy Silverado K1500

Landon Groff

1992 GMC Yukon

Devin Brian Newton

2002 Chevrolet Blazer 2-door

Fatality 24 year oldbelted driver

Adam Robert Dylewski

1995 GMC Suburban

Fatality 43 year oldbelted passenger

Janet Marie Scott

25 year oldbelted driver

ROOF CRUSH VICTIMS

Fatality

1985 Chevrolet S10 Pickup

Quadriplegic 16 year oldbelted driver

James William LongCervical Fracture

19 year oldbelted driverQuadriplegic

1992 Chevrolet S10 Blazer

29 year oldbelted driver

Thomas V. Milo

2001 Ford Explorer SportTrac

Matthew W. Alan

1997 Chevrolet S10 Blazer

Louisa Zepeda Atkinson

1991 Chevrolet S10 Blazer

Quadriplegic 16 year oldbelted driver

Tabatha Tartar

1996 Chevrolet S10 Blazer

Paraplegic 25 year oldbelted driver

Felipe Alvarez

50 year oldbelted driver

ROOF CRUSH VICTIMS

Fatality

1988 Chevrolet S10 Blazer

Quadriplegic 53 year oldbelted driver

Roelga Sarmento

36 year oldbelted driver

Fatality

FatalitySevere Head Trauma

1998 Chevrolet Blazer

44 year oldbelted driver

Azucena Duran

2002 Chevrolet Blazer

Jessie Marie Varelas

1989 Sierra 1500 Pickup

Billy Wayne King

2000 Ford Explorer

Fatality 36 year oldbelted driver

Timothy John O‘Reilly

1993 Chevy K1500 Blazer

Fatality 34 year oldbelted passenger

Terry Tripp

31 year oldbelted driver

ROOF CRUSH VICTIMS

TraumaticBrain Injury

2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer

Quadriplegic 49 year oldbelted passenger

Lonnie Harrison Lusk

33 year oldbelted driverQuadriplegic

Quadriplegic