Background NHTSA has proposed upgrading FMVSS 206, Door Locks and Door Retention Components. The agency is concerned with door latch integrity, mainly to prevent ejection in a crash. Rollover crashes are of particular concern. NHTSA is also considering adding a door opening test requirement to Standard No. 206. The purpose of this requirement would be to reduce the risk of injury in the event that a crash results in a fire. The requirement would accomplish this by increasing the chance that vehicle occupants can exit or be extricated from the vehicle after a crash.

In addition, FMVSS No. 208 and No. 214 currently test vehicles with the doors in the unlocked position. In 2001, General Motors submitted to the agency a petition requesting that the agency amend its FMVSS No. 208 and 214 tests procedures to allow vehicles equipped with Automatic Door Locks (ADL) to be tested in the locked position. In November 2002, GM sent a letter to NHTSA requesting that NCAP be allowed to test with the doors in the locked position. In vehicles equipped with ADL, all doors automatically lock either when the shift lever is moved out of 'Park' or when the vehicle reaches a certain speed. ADL improve the likelihood that doors will stay closed in the event of an accident, retaining the structural integrity of the vehicle and lowering the chance of occupant ejection. In addition, they prevent doors from being opened accidentally and/or by children. Currently, a small percentage of the fleet has ADL.

Objectives In both their petition and the subsequent letter, GM asserted that ADL are a safety device. Compare vehicles with and without ADL in real world data files to determine if ADL prevent or mitigate occupant ejections, as well as determining whether there is a tendency for doors with ADL to jam more or less frequently than those without ADL. Estimate the cost to manufacturers for installing ADL.

Proposed Approach Information will be obtained about which makes, models, and model years of vehicles are equipped with ADL. For those vehicles on which ADL are an option, information on the percent of vehicles equipped with them will need to be obtained from manufacturers. Examine and analyze NASS and FARS to determine whether vehicles equipped with ADL have a lower incidence of occupant ejections and "fell from moving vehicle" cases. Use NASS data to determine rates of correct door operation, coming open during collision, and becoming jammed for vehicles with and without ADL. The study should be controlled for vehicle type, vehicle weight, occupant age, and gender. In addition, since the feature can be disabled, and in some cases are factory set at "No doors lock/none unlock," detailed NASS information on the actual setting used would be necessary to determine a "when used" effectiveness. Where this is not possible, an "as used" effectiveness can be estimated. A teardown study will be used to determine cost. The evaluation may require several years until sufficient crash data accumulate.