Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[New roof-crush standards reported to cost automakers $1.4 billion annually]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/04/new-roof-crush-standards-reported-to-cost-automakers-1-4-billio/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/04/new-roof-crush-standards-reported-to-cost-automakers-1-4-billio/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/04/new-roof-crush-standards-reported-to-cost-automakers-1-4-billio/#commentsFiled under: ,



It's been almost 35 years since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) enacted its roof strength standards, but come late 2012 the new requirements will be in affect and in addition to saving around 135 lives each year and preventing over 1,000 injuries, it's going to cost automakers around $1.4 billion annually.

The new standards up the current crush force from 1.5-times the vehicle's unloaded weight to 3.0-times, along with maintaining sufficient head-room for an average-sized adult male held in place by a seat-belt. The same standard will eventually extend to vehicles up to 10,000 pounds - from the current 6,000-pound requirement - and eventually, the regulation will mandate that vehicles weighing 6,000 pounds and under should withstand three-times their unloaded weight.

Naturally, the additional strengthening is going to add weight, thus increasing fuel use - another hurdle automaker will have to overcome when striving to achieve new CAFE standards. The phase-in will begin in September 2012, with total compliance required for all new vehicles in 2017.

[Source: Detroit News]

New roof-crush standards reported to cost automakers $1.4 billion annually originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 May 2009 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>crushnational highway traffic safety administrationnational highway transportation safety administrationNationalHighwayTrafficSafetyAdministrationNationalHighwayTransportationSafetyAdministrationnhtsaroofroof crush standardsRoofCrushStandardsstandardsMon, 04 May 2009 18:33:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1536046/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/05/04/new-roof-crush-standards-reported-to-cost-automakers-1-4-billio/1536046/article-detail.xml 1536046 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/05/001_iihsroof_opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/05/001_iihsroof_opt.jpg <![CDATA[Bush administration needs more time for new roof strength rule]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/03/bush-administration-needs-more-time-for-new-roof-strength-rule/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/03/bush-administration-needs-more-time-for-new-roof-strength-rule/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/03/bush-administration-needs-more-time-for-new-roof-strength-rule/#commentsFiled under: ,

If you've been following the ongoing roof strength regulation saga, this will likely come as no surprise. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters has again asked for an extension to rewrite the government's vehicle roof strength rule. We've been reporting on this for more than three years, and the delays never seem to end (of course, we can assume the big cheese in Washington have more pressing issues on their plates these days). Rewriting the legislation set back in the 1970s isn't as simple as specifying stronger roof pillars. Beefing up the roof will add weight - potentially making a vehicle more top heavy and likely increasing the possibility of a rollover. The new rules will need to address these concerns, and take into account new safety technologies (curtain airbags, stability control, etc...) that are on our current-generation models. While each previous request for an extension included new deadline dates, this latest appeal didn't. A wise move considering the administration's track record on this issue.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Bush administration needs more time for new roof strength rule originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Oct 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>crashcrash testCrashTestcrushMary PetersMaryPetersNHTSArollrolloverroof regulationsRoofRegulationsTransportation SecretaryTransportationSecretaryFri, 03 Oct 2008 09:30:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1331155/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2008/10/03/bush-administration-needs-more-time-for-new-roof-strength-rule/1331155/article-detail.xml 1331155 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/10/trends_july_suv_rollover_600_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/10/trends_july_suv_rollover_600.jpg <![CDATA[Stay of execution: Ferari, Lambo and Porsche escape Philippine crusher]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/17/stay-of-execution-ferari-lambo-and-porsche-escape-philippine-c/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/17/stay-of-execution-ferari-lambo-and-porsche-escape-philippine-c/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/17/stay-of-execution-ferari-lambo-and-porsche-escape-philippine-c/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,



The exotic cars caught up in the Philippine smuggling controversy from Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche, and others were spared due to pending legal action. The owners of those high-end rides are hoping the legal system can help them regain their cars. Standing firm on her plan to crush the cars to discourage the rampant skirting of the law and smuggling of goods, Philippine President Gloria Arroyo went ahead with automotive destruction as planned, while the exotics sat out this round.

It didn't turn out to be quite the example-setting display of authority that President Arroyo had hoped. She didn't show - her backup helicopter was suffering a mechanical malady - and the officials that did attend took a few hours to get their act together and decide to smoosh some vehicles in the name of deterring smuggling. 18 vehicles eventually met the business end of a trio of backhoes, sending the message that Arroyo would rather forego the estimated $2 million US dollars the cars would have brought at auction. Instead of a multi-million dollar windfall, it looks like there's a new environmentally hazardous site at the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority's impound, and the cars will be sold for scrap for the paltry sum of 150,000 Philippine pesos, a little more than $3,200. Finance secretary Margarito Teves acknowledged that the government would be foregoing revenues to send an anti-smuggling message.

Thanks for the tip, Alex!

[Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer via Autojab]

Stay of execution: Ferari, Lambo and Porsche escape Philippine crusher originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Aug 2007 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arroyobmwcarcrushdemolitionferrarilamborghiniPhilippineporschesmuggledsmugglingFri, 17 Aug 2007 14:29:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/966859/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2007/08/17/stay-of-execution-ferari-lambo-and-porsche-escape-philippine-c/966859/article-detail.xml 966859 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/08/philippine-car-crush_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/08/philippine-car-crush.jpg <![CDATA[Phillipines cracks down on smuggling by crushing exotics]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/13/phillipines-cracks-down-on-smuggling-by-crushing-exotics/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/13/phillipines-cracks-down-on-smuggling-by-crushing-exotics/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/13/phillipines-cracks-down-on-smuggling-by-crushing-exotics/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

A Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche Cayenne, Carrera, BMW and possibly 15 more high-end auos have been sentenced to death via steam roller by the President of the Phillipines, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The cars had been smuggled into the country through a former US Naval base in Subic, and Pres. Arroyo is determined to make a spectacle of their destruction and discourage other would be smugglers from attempting to avoid import taxes. The event will be even broadcast live across the country, and will no doubt appear on You Tube soon after. We'll let you know when it does.

The Phillipines used to auction cars that were caught being smuggled into the country, but since the smugglers were usually the auction winners and got their cars back, President Arroyo will sacrifice sculpted sheetmetal, carbon fiber and low-profile rubber to make a point to her people.

Thanks for the tip, Paolo!

[Source: INQUIRER.net]

Phillipines cracks down on smuggling by crushing exotics originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 13 Aug 2007 12:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ArroyoCrushPhilippinesSteamrollerSubicSupercarsMon, 13 Aug 2007 12:03:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/963743/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2007/08/13/phillipines-cracks-down-on-smuggling-by-crushing-exotics/963743/article-detail.xml 963743 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/08/crushedcarsa_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/08/crushedcarsa.jpg <![CDATA[Paul Walker weeps: California turns to crushing street racers]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/06/20/paul-walker-weeps-california-turns-to-crushing-street-racers/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/06/20/paul-walker-weeps-california-turns-to-crushing-street-racers/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/06/20/paul-walker-weeps-california-turns-to-crushing-street-racers/#commentsFiled under: , ,



The state of California has taken a hard line against illegal street racing, the type of which has on occasion led to the death of innocent pedestrians and the racers themselves. They're employing a new deterrent to make these illegal racers think twice about competing on public roads - crushing the impounded cars of those caught street racing. This Fox News video clip (click this link to view) shows a local reporter present at the inaugural crush who appears a little too excited about the event compared to the disembodied anchorman whose voiceover we hear in the backgroiund. The tuned Honda Civic hatch is flattened quickly inside the crusher's jaws, the extreme pressure popping out its windows like eyeballs and some of the hatch's contents ejecting out the back like vomit. Fortunately, it looks like the aftermarket rims may have survived. The Ron Burgandy wannabe behind the desk says it best at the end exclaiming, "Half the guys in the studio are crying at what you just showed us."

[Source: Fox News via GMInsideNews]

Paul Walker weeps: California turns to crushing street racers originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Jun 2007 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CaliforniacrushcrushedHonda CivicHondaCivicimpoundimpoundedOntarioRialtostreet racersstreet racingStreetRacersStreetRacingWed, 20 Jun 2007 19:03:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/922741/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2007/06/20/paul-walker-weeps-california-turns-to-crushing-street-racers/922741/article-detail.xml 922741 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/06/hondacrush_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/06/hondacrush.jpg -1 2