Contact:	Clarence Mills (202) 543-1440 c.mills@att.net
For Release:	Immediate News Bulletin PR-40 May 20, 2009

House Subcommittee Deliberates Automobile Safety

Witnesses Highlight Crash Avoidance Technologies

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 20, 2009 - The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce's Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection held a hearing on "Auto Safety: Current Mandates and Emerging Issues" on Capitol Hill. The subcommittee's chairman, Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., opened the hearing with a series of questions regarding the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) relevance, timeliness and sufficient implementation of Congressional mandates on transportation safety. Rep. George Radanovich, R-Calif., the ranking member, followed up by emphasizing a national desire for safer roads, which he said calls for further behavioral and technological improvements. However, it was noted that research and development for technological advancements might be a strain on automobile manufacturers in the current economic environment.

Witnesses included:

• Ronald L. Medford, acting deputy administrator, NHTSA

• Kathryn O'Leary Higgins, board member, National Transportation Safety Board

• Robert Strassburger, vice president, Vehicle Safety & Harmonization, The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers

• Stephen L. Oesch, senior vice president, Insurance Institute for Highway and Auto Safety (IIHS)

• Joan Claybrook, board member, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety

• Janette Fennell, president, Kids and Cars

• Jeffrey W. Runge, M.D., president, Biologue Inc.

Claybrook noted that crash prevention and vehicle crashworthiness offer economic benefits by reducing public health costs. She also pointed out the importance of electronic stability control (ESC) systems in crash prevention.

Medford also testified at the hearing and discussed key areas important to the collision repair industry. He noted that current NHTSA auto safety programs include:

• Electronic stability control technology

• Side crash protection

• New car assessment program - 5-star consumer information program

• Upgrade roof strength standard

• Advanced safety technologies for crash avoidance

Also under way, according to Medford, are future technologies that will be even more efficient at preventing crashes. "We are currently under way with a significant research program on vehicle-to-vehicle communications, where short wave communications will enable vehicles to identify, broadcast and actively avoid crash risks," said Medford.

Oesch discussed crash avoidance technology and a review of "real world crash and insurance data." He reviewed the following crash avoidance technologies:

1) Forward collision warning with automatic braking

2) Emergency brake assistance

3) Lane departure warning

4) Blind zone detection

5) Adaptive headlights

From looking at 2002-06 crash data, Oesch said, the IIHS determined that 3,435,000 relevant crashes could have been prevented with the appropriate technology and approximately 20,777 fatal crashes could have been prevented. Of these totals, some of these crashes are relevant to more than one of the crash avoidance technologies.

To view testimony from this hearing, please visit ASA's legislative Web site at www.TakingTheHill.com.

The Automotive Service Association is the largest not-for-profit trade association of its kind dedicated to and governed by independent automotive service and repair professionals. ASA serves an international membership base that includes numerous affiliate, state and chapter groups from both the mechanical and collision repair segments of the automotive service industry. ASA's headquarters is in Bedford, Texas.

ASA advances professionalism and excellence in the automotive repair industry through education, representation and member services. For additional information about ASA, including past news releases, go to www.ASAshop.org, or visit ASA's legislative Web site at www.TakingTheHill.com.

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