Abigail Hansen

Period 3
Engineering 2

Vehicle Safety Ratings and Procedures

Throughout the entire history of the automobile, there have been a diverse
number of changes to vehicle safety ratings and procedures. While many of these
changes have been abiding, there are also those that can/are considered failures.
Ratings, regulations, and procedures are constantly being developed and adapted to
the current standards and keep up with the innovative and ever-changing motor vehicle
industry. Improvements are continuously being made and new ways of keeping people
safe are being discovered. Majority of modern day safety features are computer aided,
but in the past they had to be much simpler. In the future, there are expected to be cars
capable of driving themselves, hopefully making transportation safer and easier. The
history of car safety began after the first fatal car accident was recorded, involving Mary
Ward, an Irish scientist in the late 1860s. Mary was killed when she fell under the
wheels of an experimental steam car built by her cousins. The first turning signals were
created by Buick in 1937, but motor vehicles have been around for over 100 years. It
was not a legal requirement to wear seatbelts until 1968. Hydraulic brake systems
became the first car safety requirement when they were first introduced in 1922 by
Malcom Lougheed. Other examples of safety features include the invention of safety
glass in 1930, the padded dashboard in 1937, standard disc brakes in 1949, and
optional headrests for the front seat in 1959. General Motors performed the first barrier
crash test in 1934. The Department of Transportation (DOT) was established in 1996
and the National Transportation Safety Board in 1967, though it would later become
known as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 1969. These, and some
other safety boards and administrations throughout the world are responsible for
creating guidelines and rules for automakers.
Crash protection features provide higher levels of crash safety for drivers and
passengers in case of an accident. Some of examples of these features are crumple
zones, strong occupant compartments, side impact protections, seatbelts, airbags, and
headrests. Crumple zones are used to absorb crash energy, thus protecting the driver
and passengers in frontal, rear and offset crashes. The crumple zone is by far the
biggest crash protection feature on a motor vehicle. A strong occupant compartment
ensures that the cabin of the car keeps its shape, the steering column, dashboard, roof
pillars, pedals, and floor panels are not pushed inward, injuring the driver and/or
passengers. Also, doors are designed to stay closed during an accident, but are easily
opened afterwards, especially in case of an emergency rescue. Side impact protection
increases door strength, internal padding, and better seats, which are all crucial
components during a car accident. Seatbelts, when worn properly, also provide great

protection but they do not always prevent injury. Safety features found on seatbelts are
webbing clamps, pretensioners, load limiters, and seat belt warning systems. Airbags
are not substitutes for seat belts. When a properly worn seatbelt is combined with an
airbag, great protection during a frontal crash is provided. Head rests, when adjusted
correctly, can prevent whiplash in rear impact crashes. Sometimes owners modify their
vehicles to "enhance their appearance" or to accommodate someone with a disability to
make the vehicle more easily accessible. These types of modifications must follow a
specific set of rules and guidelines created by the Department of Transportation and
deemed safe enough to drive on the road.
A passive restraint is a safety device, like a crumple zone, padding inside of the
car, or special seat belt that is activated automatically to protect an automobile
passenger at the moment of impact when a collision occurs. Seat belts are meant to
hold the occupants bodies in place during the first seconds of a collision. Crumple
zones absorb the impact of the collision by allowing the outer tin parts of the engine bay,
trunk, doors, and the floor and ceiling, to reduce the force of impact and redirect it
around the passengers compartment. The padding inside the car, which is fire resistant,
is meant to prevent scuffs and injuries. An active restraint device is a safety device that
does not active on its own, like a pretentioner, an air bag, or active head restraints. A
pretentioner is a pyro technic mechanism that, upon impact, tightens the seatbelt,
therefor reducing slack. Air bags inflate upon collision to contain the upper body of the
passengers, and soften the blow. At the same time, air bags can be and have been,
very dangerous. Air bags in frontal systems are not designed for young children, or
small people who do not meet the safety requirements to be able to sit in the front seat
of a motor vehicle. Frontal air bag systems have proven to be dangerous and even fatal
for those who do not follow the rules. The final example of an active restraint device is
an active head restraint. These work like a pretentioner or air bag by pushing the head
restraint against your neck. They sometimes even recline the back of the seat all
together.
Crash safety and it's regulations are very important, and taken very seriously in
the the United States. Motor vehicles are given safety ratings by the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. These
ratings are determined by a series of five tests conducted to find a cars
crashworthiness. Crash safety is the ability of a motor vehicle to protect its driver and
passengers in the case of a collision. A car's rating is based on its performance in the
following: moderate overlap front, small overlap front, side, crash avoidance, and head
restraint. All crash tests, and the entire history of crash safety tests are recorded in a
database kept by the National Highway Traffic Safety. These records are open and
made accessible to the general public as they become available.

Works Cited
http://www.safercar.gov/
http://www.nhtsa.gov/Vehicle-Safety
http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a4449/the-road-ahead-road-evolutionof-safety/
http://www.crashtest.org/history-car-safety/
http://amhistory.si.edu/onthemove/themes/story_86_1.html