Status Report, Vol. 22: 1987

Volume 22, Number 14 • December 26, 1987

Caution: 65 mph speed is hazardous to your life

Antilock brakes: truckers see it's the way to go

Institute urges more research on truck visibility

Lawmakers confer on drug testing for transportation industry

Truck safety bill: new truck safety measure

More drivers exceed New Mexico's top speed of 65 mph

Corsica change: GM drops plans to install automatic seatbelts in 1988 model

NHTSA set to require crash testing of seat belts in vans and pickups

Are beer commercials sending young men a dangerous message?

Senator scores beer, wine industries for wooing underage consumers

'Christmas crusade' reduces crash-related fatalities in Britain

Highest theft claim frequencies

Large domestic models have the best collision records

NHTSA seeks to end risk to children from power windows

Scholarship award

Texas teenagers less likely to buckle up

Even under icy conditions, study shows front brakes give truckers better control

Volume 22, Number 13 • December 5, 1987

State belt use laws trim deaths and injuries

Why are U.S. seat belt use laws less effective than others?

States with seat belt use laws

Motorized belts

Shoulder belt slung under the arm can cause fatal injuries

What kind of campaign promotes the highest belt law compliance?

7,500 lives saved by restraints

Seat belt usage

High belt use rates are linked to enforcement

Helmet laws: the long battle to save lives

NCAP tests include 10 cars with automatic crash protection

Volume 22, Number 12 • November 21, 1987

High belt use rates? For four automakers it's just automatic

Test shows cosmetic parts do not affect safety compliance

Trapping fuel vapors in cars could let loose another hazard

Correction

Rear seat belts

NHTSA stands by ruling to encourage air bag development

Getting the facts

Study urges zero alcohol use by commercial drivers

Radar detectors

Onboard recorders

Disrupted sleep puts truckers at greater risk of death

Trucker fatalities

Volume 22, Number 11 • October 17, 1987

Super bikes: twice the danger of street cycles

Discounts for automatic restraints

Fuel vapor device would raise fire risk

HLDI lists '87 models with best and worst collision results

Freightliner adds antilock brake option, improved safety belts

Crash involvement for heavy trucks climbs 15 percent, OTA official says

Head restraints

Volume 22, Number 10 • September 19, 1987

More than 8 hours behind the wheel? Twice the crash risk

Truck defects double the danger

Truckers say most fellow drivers often violate rules

Seat belt study

FHWA to review onboard recorders

States adopt higher speed limits

Senate considers House legislation for funding NHTSA

Douglas M. Fergusson championed safety

Employer campaigns pay off with higher seat belt use rates

Seat belt use day

Injuries, vehicle damage vary greatly among car models

Oesch rejoins Institute

Traffic deaths increase over 12 months

Drivers ejected in crashes face greater risk of death

Volume 22, Number 9 • August 15, 1987

On the road with NHTSA: a decade of detours

NHTSA kept busy with petitions

Vehicle safety stalled at NHTSA

Headlights: design freedom has its price

Policy process

Despite 'substantial benefits,' bumper standard is dropped

The car book

Big rigs: extensive study, no action

Crashworthiness? Auto buyers 'are left in the dark'

'Little done' to improve pickups

OMB delays action

Air bags and belts: 20 years of rulemaking activity and litigation

Vehicle regulation in another agency

Volume 22, Number 8 • July 18, 1987

Toll road study shows trucks have higher crash rate

School buses pass the test

NHTSA says there's room for improvement in school bus safety

Speed limit raised, but speeders still break the law

U.S. Supreme Court upholds national drinking age law

Drunk drivers: why mandatory sentences are not routine

Car hotline

Motor vehicle deaths drop in New York after belt use law takes effect

More air bags: Nissan and Toyota to install in selected 1989 models

Seat belt campaign on campus increases student, faculty use

Transportation guide now available

Volume 22, Number 7 • June 27, 1987

Fatal ejections examined

Drivers find it's a cinch with Ford's new automatic belt system

Highway violence and public policy

Crash deaths in rural areas are more than double U.S. average

Car theft varies enormously from model to model

Rollover crashes seen as chief safety problem for light trucks

NHTSA warns dealers it's unlawful to display new cars with seat belts unfastened

Extensive lab testing confirms use of drugs by truck drivers

The Senate will consider a bill that would provide for random drug and alcohol testing for aviation, rail, and motor carrier employees

As of July 1 it will be a federal offense for truck and bus drivers to hold multiple commercial licenses

Shoulder belt slack: a critical loophole in motorists' protection

Two Institute films win major awards 'for outstanding creativity'

Volume 22, Number 6 • May 30, 1987

Poor brakes implicated in up to a third of heavy truck crashes

Gray market recall

Late switch in votes doomed Massachusetts seat belt use law

Belt use up

Child restraint use more than doubles, NHTSA reports

Ambulance recall

Early results show high mounted brake lights reduce crashes

Judge rules X-car brakes not defective; NHTSA appeals

In response to an IIHS petition, NHTSA will begin a review of the agency's definition of vehicle classes

Institute defines legal issues on radar detectors

Allstate backs ban of radar detectors

Dole urged to act on rear seat belt issue to avoid controversy

FHWA proposals 'are not sufficient'

Volume 22, Number 5 • May 9, 1987

Survivor: 'I'll never buy another car without an air bag'

GSA orders 1,500 Ford Tempos equipped with driver side airbags

Senate bill would extend standards to multipurpose vehicles

Belt laws saving lives: A new analysis

Drinking age laws

NTSB defends its conclusions in lap belt study

NHTSA and EPA are 'missing the boat' on gray market cars entering the U.S.

AAA supports Institute petition

GAO reports NHTSA's testing activities could be improved

Lap belt: 'better than no protection'

Logbook violations: California Highway Patrol finds 14 percent of truckers in violation of regulations

Volume 22, Number 4 • April 11, 1987

NHTSA decision will mean 'more air bags sooner'

The 1987 edition of 'The Car Book' is now available

NHTSA drops a proposal to rescind automatic restraint requirements for convertibles

55 mph: 'it still makes a difference'

Congress clears way for higher speeds

Buckle up in VA

GAO review confirms advantages of raising drinking age for young drivers

Institute files brief in support of 21 drinking age

FHWA issues two rulemaking notices on trucking industry

FHWA goes to some lengths in its proposed rulemaking to assure the safety and comfort of truckers

Congressman asks: why was on board recorder petition denied?

NHTSA needs fine tuning, reports safety task force

Dole approves daytime running light petition

Canada to require daytime running lights

Thieves take to European cars

Supreme Court rejects appeal on automatic restraints

Volume 22, Number 3 • March 14, 1987

GM plans 3 million driver air bags for 1992 models

Radar detectors spur speeding

Corsica performs best in 5 mph bumper tests

Institute facts now available

Driver register can help identify pilots at risk

Motorcycles claim increasing share of highway deaths

Helmet study

Institute urges DOT to reconsider on board recorders

Truck brakes

North Carolina leads nation in seat belt use

Seat belt use rates continue to vary among the states

Honda air bag

Public backs 55

Volume 22, Number 2 • February 28, 1987

Small passenger vehicles a problem

Volume 22, Number 1 • January 24, 1987

The public prefers air bags

Double-trailer trucks more than double danger on highways

New standards urged for minivans

Institute petitions NHTSA on outmoded vehicle standards

Drinking and driving drops sharply across nation, study shows

Study indicates tips program may help keep DUI down

Caution: higher speed on rural interstates won't end there

Strong air bag commitment

Institute backs rule change on air bag