U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has announced a rigid set of new roof standards that will significantly strengthen lightweight automobile roof structures and improve protection in a rollover car crash.As car accident lawyers, we see cases where cars that are not equipped with the proper safety features are involved in car accidents that cause personal injuries or turn into fatal auto accidents.
The tougher roof crushing requirements are part of an all encompassing plan to lower car crash statistics that are considered rollover car accidents, which cause wrongful death in 10,000 people annually. These new regulations from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will double light automobiles (weighing up to 6,000 pounds) current roof strength requirement to prevent it from tearing off in an auto accident.
It specifies that both the driver and passenger sides of the roof must be capable of withstanding a force equal to three times the weight of the car in an automobile accident.
“[Car] rollovers are the deadliest crashes on our highways and today’s rule will help occupants survive these horrific events,” said LaHood.
These new standards, while aiming to lower the amount of car accident injuries, will still need to be thoroughly tested before they are proven to protect again personal injuries. Who will make sure these are the proper safety features cars need and after that, who will enforce their use?
We, as car accident lawyers, believe that regulations on the strength of roof cars could help to lower fatal car accident statistics, but we also believe that those who enforce these standards should make sure that automobile manufactures follow them completely.
September 2012 is when the phase-in schedule is expected to begin, with completion for all automobiles by the 2017 model year, but even with these new regulations we cannot stress enough the importance of getting the best car insurance policy available.
Please feel free to call us now at 1-800-655-6585 or click here for a FREE CONSULTATION with an experienced car accident lawyer. We have a large bilingual staff that can assist you in either English or Spanish.
About Michael PinesMichael Pines is a former insurance company attorney who specializes in car accident injury. While he was an insurance attorney, he learned from behind the scenes on how insurance companies work and how they decided to pay injured people. Now that he works against insurance companies, Michael's inside knowledge has resulted in significant benefits to his clients injured in car accidents.
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Tags: car roof, NHTSA, Ray LaHood, rollover car accident
Thank you for all your help