Evaluation Report on Glass-Plastic Windshield Glazing, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, Motor Vehicle Glazing Materials

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. 94-11; Notice 01]

Evaluation Report on Glass-Plastic Windshield Glazing, Federal

Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, Motor Vehicle Glazing Materials

agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.

action: Request for comments.

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summary: This notice announces the publication by NHTSA of an

Evaluation Report concerning Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No.

205, ``Glazing Materials.'' This staff report evaluates the safety,

durability, and cost of glass-plastic windshield glazing which was

introduced, for a limited time, in selected new passenger car models.

The report was developed in accordance with Executive Order 12866,

which requires Federal agencies to carry out periodic reviews of

regulations that they have promulgated. NHTSA seeks public review and

comment on this evaluation. Comments will be used to complete the

review as required by the Executive Order.

dates: Comments must be received no later than May 23, 1994.

addresses:

Report: Interested persons may obtain a copy of the report free of

charge by sending a self-addressed mailing label to: Ms. Glorious

Harris (NAD-51), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400

Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590.

Comments: All comments should refer to the docket and notice number

of this notice and be submitted to: Docket Section, room 5109, Nassif

Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. [Docket Hours,

9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Friday.] It is requested but not

required that 10 copies of comments be submitted.

Submissions containing information for which confidential treatment

is requested should be submitted (3 copies) to Chief Counsel, National

Highway Traffic Safety Administration, room 5219, 400 Seventh Street

SW., Washington, DC 20590, and 7 copies from which the purportedly

confidential information has been deleted should be sent to the Docket

Section.

for further information contact: Mr. Frank G. Ephraim, Chief,

Evaluation Division, Office of Strategic Planning and Evaluation, Plans

and Policy, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, room 5208,

400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590 (202-366-1574).

supplementary information: Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard

(FMVSS) No. 205 (49 CFR 571.205), ``Glazing Materials,'' issued by

NHTSA in January 1968, prescribes safety requirements for all glazing

materials used in motor vehicles, including the windshield, the

windows, and any interior partitions. The purpose of the standard is to

reduce injuries resulting from impact with glazing surfaces, to ensure

a necessary degree of transparency in motor vehicle windows for driver

visibility, and to minimize the possibility of occupants being thrown

through the vehicle windshield in collisions.

In 1985, the agency published an evaluation study (DOT HS 806 693,

February 1985) of conventional windshield glazing which has been

standard equipment in American-made vehicles since the mid-1960's.

Conventional glazing, often referred to as ``HPR'' (or High Penetration

Resistant) glazing, was found to be a significant safety improvement

over prior glazing designs, and was credited with bringing about a

major reduction in the frequency and severity of head and facial

injuries which resulted from occupants being thrown against the

windshield in crashes. The primary benefit of the HPR design was a

large reduction in the more severe facial lacerations and fractures,

with a more modest reduction in minor lacerations, the majority of

which still remained after HPR glazing was introduced.

In 1983, NHTSA amended FMVSS No. 205 to permit (but not require)

the use of a new type of glazing, known as ``glass-plastic'' glazing.

Glass-plastic glazing is similar in construction to the type used in

the HPR windshield design except for the addition of a thin sheet of

plastic bonded to the inside surface of the windshield. This feature

was believed to have a high potential for reducing lacerative injuries

to occupants who struck the windshield during crashes. At the same

time, there was some concern over the durability of the softer plastic

liner of the glass-plastic windshield relative to the inner glass

surface of the standard HPR windshield.

Following NHTSA's amendment of FMVSS No. 205, two motor vehicle

manufacturers equipped a number of their cars with glass-plastic

windshields for field testing in rental fleets. One of the

manufacturers also introduced the windshield to the general public by

making it standard equipment on selected make models for a limited

period of time.

NHTSA is conducting an evaluation study of glass-plastic glazing to

assess its potential for lacerative injury reduction, its durability

characteristics, and its costs. The report is based on analyses of data

from State crash files; fleet tests; and on information from vehicle

manufacturers, glass companies, and other sources. The primary findings

and conclusions of the study are:

Safety. Although insufficient to support firm conclusions,

crash data from both State files and fleet tests indicate that

lacerative injury reduction benefits from glass-plastic windshields are

substantially less than the virtual elimination of these injuries,

originally projected by the agency. While the plastic inner liner does

reduce cuts from broken glass, lacerations can still occur from blunt

impact with the plastic liner.

Durability. Data from rental fleet operations and

manufacturer warranty claims indicate that durability problems are

greater than anticipated. Primarily, these problems involve the

susceptibility of the plastic inner liner to damage (cuts, scratches)

from the everyday motor vehicle environment.

Costs. In volume quantities, it is estimated that a glass-

plastic windshield will add $65 to the cost of a new car. Additional

consumer costs would accrue due to the lower durability of the

windshield compared to the conventional windshield. The cost of

replacing a glass-plastic windshield is estimated to be over $1,700,

compared to about $500 for replacing a conventional windshield. This

high cost difference has caused most replacements of glass-plastic

windshields to be made with conventional windshields, thereby negating

any safety benefit inherent in the glass-plastic glazing.

Today's high rates of safety belt use, together with the

high installation rates of air bags--in contrast to the situation a

decade ago when the agency authorized the use of glass-plastic glazing

means that the size of the lacerative injury problem due to windshield

contact in crashes is now substantially smaller and will continue to

decrease.

NHTSA invites comments from interested persons on the evaluation

study summarized in this notice and on other relevant issues.

Comments must not exceed 15 pages in length. (49 CFR 553.21).

Necessary attachments may be appended to these submissions without

regard to the 15-page limit. This limitation is intended to encourage

commenters to detail their primary comments in a concise fashion.

Those persons desiring to be notified upon receipt of their

comments in the docket should enclose a self-addressed stamped postcard

in the envelope with their comments. Upon receiving the comments, the

docket supervisor will return the postcard by mail.

(15 U.S.C. 1392, 1401, 1407; delegation of authority at 49 CFR 1.50

and 501.8)

Issued on: February 9, 1994.

Donald C. Bischoff,

Associate Administrator for Plans and Policy.

[FR Doc. 94-3871 Filed 2-18-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-59-M