Interpretation ID: nht89-1.59

TYPE: INTERPRETATION-NHTSA

DATE: 03/31/89 EST

FROM: VERNON ROBERTS -- NHTSA NATIONAL CENTER FOR STATISTICS AND ANALYSIS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

TITLE: RESEARCH NOTES; CRASH EXPERIENCE OF GOVERNMENT SPONSORED AIR BAG VEHICLES THROUGH MARCH 31, 1989

ATTACHMT: ATTACHED TO LETTER DATED 05/25/89 FROM STEPHEN P. WOOD -- NHTSA TO HARRY REID -- SENATE. RED BOOK A33 [4] USA 108 [A] [2] [A]; STANDARD 208; LETTER DATED 03/08/89 FROM PATRICIA KLINGER WATHEN -- DOT TO HARRY REID -- SENATE; LETTER DATED 02/23/ 89 FROM HARRY REID -- SENATE TO DOT; LETTER DATED 02/03/89 FROM STEVEN P. ELLIOTT TO HARRY REID -- SENATE, RE AUTHORIZATION TO DISCONNECT AUTOMOBILE AIR BAGS; REPORT FROM DAVID J. ROMEO AND JOHN B. MORRIS, DRIVER AIR BAG POLICE FLEET DEMONSTRATION PROGRA M A 24 MONTH PROGRESS REPORT AT EXPERIMENTAL SAFETY VEHICLE CONFERENCE OXFORD, ENGLAND, JULY 1-5, 1985

TEXT: In 1983 and 1984, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began two air bag fleet programs. The purpose was to demonstrate that both original equipment and retrofit air bag systems would provide occupant crash protection, with no sign ificant operational problems.

The air bags in these fleets have performed well in service. There have been a total of 167 crash deployments. We know of no cases where the air bags failed to deploy as designed and only two non-crash deployments (neither of which resulted in any pers onal injury or crash damage).

NHTSA supported the development, procurement, installation, and evaluation of 539 retrofit air bag systems in state police vehicles. The agency also joined the General Services Administration (GSA) in the purchase of 5,000 1985 Ford Tempos that were fac tory-equipped with driver air bags for use as Federal government fleet vehicles. GSA subsequently purchased 1,500 1987 Ford Tempos with air bags. The Department of Defense purchased 300 air bag equipped 1985 Ford Tempos for its use.

Air bags are designed to protect drivers in frontal crashes in which the change in velocity is greater than approximately 10 miles per hour (mph): speeds at which serious injuries may occur. Both the car makers and NHTSA recommend that vehicle occupants also wear the available safety belts.

In the operation of these NHTSA sponsored air bag fleets through March 31, 1989:

* There were no severe or critical injuries in any of the 167 deployment crashes. The drivers of these cars typically had no injury or only minor injury. Only 14 had moderate to serious level injuries, but none received more serious injuries.

* The most severe deployment crash was a frontal collision with a velocity change of approximately 25 mph. The primary injury to the driver was a mild concussion.

* There was one catastrophic, fatal, non-deployment crash judged as non-survivable (see the third footnote on the summary table overleaf). In all other crashes where the air bags did not deploy, the crashes were of such a low severity that the air bags were not designed to deploy, and did not.

* There were two air bag deployments in the absence of a collision. In one case involving a police car, the air bag readiness indicator light on the dashboard gave adequate warning of a fault in the electrical system, but no action was taken. The bag d eployed while the car was parked with no occupant. In the other case involving a Tempo, the bag also deployed while the car was parked unoccupied. Design changes were made in both systems to prevent similar occurrences.

SUMMARY OF THE CRASH EXPERIENCE OF GOVERNMENT SPONSORED AIR BAG EQUIPPED FLEET VEHICLES AS OF MARCH 31, 1989

Government Air Bag Fleets Originally Placed Currently in Vehicle Fleet in Fleet Service Fleet Service 1985 Ford Tempos - Federal Government 5,300 1,974 1987 Ford Tempo - Federal Government 1,500 1,3421983-1985 Police Cars (retrofit systems) 539 240

Air Bag Fleet Crash Experience Deployment Injuries to Drivers/Right Front Passengers n1 Crashes AIS-0 AIS-1 AIS-2 AIS-3 AIS-4 AIS-5 AIS-6 Unknown n2 Fed. Tempo 126 31/1 82/21 8/1 3/1 0/0 0/0 0/0 1/0 Police Cars n3 41 9/2 26/5 2/0 1/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 Total 167 40/3 108/26 10/1 4/1 0/0 0/0 0/0 1/0 n1 Injuries are classified according to the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS): AIS 1 = minor, AIS 2 = moderate, AIS 3 = serious, AIS 4 = severe, AIS 5 = critical, and AIS 6 = untreatable (usually fatal).

n2 One deployment occurred when a driverless, stolen Tempo was pushed off a river bank and struck a tree. Another stolen Tempo was recovered with frontal damage and a deployed air bag. Nothing else is known about the driver or crash.

n3 There were three deployments in unoccupied police cars. They were parked with engines running when struck by other vehicles.

Number of Vehicles Involved in Each Deployment Crash by Mode:

Front . . . 139 Side . . . 16 Rollover . . . 4 Undercarriage . . . 8 Non-Deployment n4 Injuries to Drivers & Right Front Passengers Crashes AIS-0 AIS-1 AIS-2 AIS-3 AIS-4 AIS-5 AIS-6 Fed. Tempos 764 713 50 0 0 0 0 1 Police Cars 29 28 1 0 0 0 0 0 Total 793 741 51 0 0 0 0 1

n4 The information is incomplete because the crash notification criteria and injury information available on non-deployment crashes varies with each fleet. One Tempo crashed into a heavy truck at a closing speed of approximately 95 mph. This crash wa s so severe that the vehicle's electrical system was destroyed before the crash sensors could actuate the air bag. The car was catastrophically destroyed by the truck, fatally injuring the driver who could not have been protected by the air bag even had it deployed.

Air Bag Equipped Vehicle Exposure Vehicle Fleet Total Estimated Mileage Federal Tempos 250 million Police Cars 65 million

Results of Fleet Experience to Date

Experience with this current generation air bag fleet has been very positive. The air bags deployed in cases where the crash protection was needed. When air bags deployed, injuries typically were relatively minor.