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Head Injuries Are Noted in Crash Tests of 3 SUVs

New York Times - MICHELINE MAYNARD

05/01/03 - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said yesterday that results from a side-impact crash test showed that passengers in three sport utility vehicles would have suffered a high likelihood of severe or fatal head injuries.

The vehicles, all 2002 models, were the Daewoo Nubira and the Suzuki Grand Vitara, both considered small S.U.V.'s, and the Mitsubishi Montero Sport, which is considered midsize.

The disclosure was the first time that federal safety officials had provided information on potential head injuries in side-impact crash test results. The agency also said it would recalculate future crash test measurements to reflect head injuries.

Since 1997, the agency has been measuring the effects of a vehicle's being hit from the side. But the previous tests reflected only chest injuries to test dummies inside the vehicle. "When the tests started, the dummies were not sophisticated enough," said Rae Tyson, an agency spokesman.

Now, the agency has a new type of dummy that can help measure potential head injuries, Mr. Tyson said. As a result, the agency plans to note when a head injury score indicates a higher likelihood of a severe or fatal brain injury.

Mr. Tyson also said the agency would soon begin the process of revising safety standards to include the head injury information. He said the agency hoped the revision would be made sometime this year.

The agency's citing of potential head injuries is in line with its practice of pointing out unusual occurrences during crash tests. The head injury data is not yet included in the agency's crash-test ratings, which award up to five stars, the highest rating, according to how vehicles perform. That is how the Grand Vitara and the Montero Sport were able to receive five-star ratings for side-impact safety despite the potential for serious head injury. The Nubira received three stars.

The Nubira is no longer sold in the United States. General Motors, which took a stake in Daewoo's automotive operations last year, stopped importing Daewoo vehicles for the 2003 model year, which began last October. G.M. eventually plans to begin selling Daewoo products through its own dealers.

Yesterday, the agency noted that the driver's side door on the Ford Explorer and its sister S.U.V., the Mercury Mountaineer, became unlatched during a side-impact crash test. Both, however, received five-star ratings for driver's side safety. In addition, the agency said that the front passenger in a Hyundai Santa Fe S.U.V. would have had a high chance of suffering a thigh injury in a full frontal crash. Despite that, the Santa Fe received a four-star rating.

The auto industry, faced with mounting criticism over the increase in fatalities involving sport utility vehicles, recently agreed to cooperate with the government to explore new tests and standards to address S.U.V. safety. But safety advocates have criticized the idea of permitting the industry to regulate itself.

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