The effectiveness of the crash-protecting automobile bumpers required by Part 581--Bumper Standard, which replaced FMVSS-215 for vehicles manufactured after August 1978, was evaluated through an analysis of a sample of insurance claims filed with the State Farm Insurance Company. Part 581 Bumper Standard incorporates the safety-related performance criteria of FMVSS-215 and also specifies damage limitations to nonsafety-related components and the vehicle surface areas. The vehicle crash tests include longitudinal and corner pendulum impacts and front and rear barrier impacts (5 mph). The current study compared accident claims (frequency and cost) from four model year periods: prior to enactment of FMVSS-215 (1972); the combined experience of all previous vehicles complying with any version of the standard (1973-78); the combined experience of all previous vehicles complying with the upgraded version of the standard (1974-1978); and vehicles complying with Part 581--Requirements (1979).
Analysis of Insurance Claims to Determine Bumper Effect on Crash Damage - 1979 Model Year, Addendum
1980
55 pages
Report
No indication
English