Georgia-2009-SR1299-Enrolled

Urging the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to update Standard 302 of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been tasked with the mission of saving lives, preventing injuries, and reducing economic costs that result from road traffic crashes; and

WHEREAS, one of the most important ways in which the NHTSA carries out its mission is to issue Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS); and

WHEREAS, FMVSS 302 specifies the required burn resistance level for materials used in the occupant compartments of motor vehicles; and

WHEREAS, the purpose of Standard 302 is to reduce the incidents of deaths and injuries to occupants of motor vehicles during a vehicle fire; and

WHEREAS, each year in the United States, there are approximately 306,000 car crashes which result in fires, the majority of which start in the engine compartment of the vehicle and spread to the passenger compartment; and

WHEREAS, vehicle fires result in approximately 360 deaths, 1125 injuries, and $1.2 billion in property damage annually; and

WHEREAS, once the flames penetrate the passenger compartment during a vehicle fire, they spread rapidly and can result in passenger death in one to three minutes, while the nation-wide average response time for an ambulance to a car crash is ten minutes; and

WHEREAS, cost efficient technology currently exists that can slow the spread of flames from an engine compartment fire, thereby saving lives, preventing injuries, and reducing economic costs; and

WHEREAS, FMVSS 302 was adopted in 1975 and does not reflect the fire hazards of the modern automobile nor the availability of technology that could slow the spread of fire throughout the vehicle.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body urge the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to update Standard 302 of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to reflect the modern automobile content and available technology that would prevent the rapid spread of flames during a vehicle fire in order to adequately protect vehicle drivers and passengers.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to transmit appropriate copies of this resolution to the State Fire Marshal, the Director of the Governor's Office of Highway Safety, the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and each member of the Georgia congressional delegation.