Safety weighed against cost

23rd September 1966, Page 237

23rd September 1966

Page 237

Page 237, 23rd September 1966 — Safety weighed against cost

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FROM A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ATHOUGH the controversy following publication of Ralph Nader's book "Unsafe at Any Speed" is being blamed, at least in part, for declining car sales in the US, it seems so far to have had little effect in the commercial field. With US lorry production currently running some 12 per cent above last year, many manufacturers are looking to record figures by the end of the year.

Lorry manufacturers have not had to contend with the heavy pressure put upon the car makers to include safety features in their products, and it is therefore not surprising that, in the main, new models now being introduced pay scant deference to such features. Reports would imply that the industry holds the rather cynical view that there would be objection from purchasers to anything which tended to raise the cost of the vehicle, whether safety is involved or not.

Supporting this, an official of one large Mid-West haulage concern is reported as saying that, although the padded instrument panel would reduce injury risk, he and his colleagues doubted if it would warrant the extra cost. Other hauliers have stated that they remain unconvinced that seat belts for lorries are a valuable safety asset.

Safety measures in the American haulage field have, of course, been regulated to some extent by the Interstate Commerce Commission for the past 30 years. No doubt further regulation will be forthcoming if the car safety legislation now being studied by Congress becomes law, since lorries will probably be defined as "vehicles".

Anticipating such legislation, some light van manufacturers are including seat belts as standard equipment, while General Motors Corp. has belts on all its Chevrolet models, both large and small. A few makers have padded dashboards as standard on their new models. For 1967, Chevrolet will also offer a telescopic steering column, designed to shorten by 8 in. when hit with a force of 1,000 lb., while dual braking systems will be offered on eight models. Chrysler's Dodge division, too, is offering dual braking.

Last year, about 16 per cent of all vehicles in the US involved in fatal accidents were lorries. This is only to be expected, perhaps, since such vehicles comprise 16 per cent of the total.

Not surprisingly, one of the major critics of the trucking industry's safety record is James F. Hoffa, leader of the Teamsters' Union. He feels strongly that safety devices should be incorporated to reduce fatalities from jack-knifing, blow-outs and driver fatigue. Another critic, T. Manos, of Detroit University, points out that lorry bumpers are generally 10 to 12 inches higher than those on cars, and should be lowered in the interests of safety.