Feasibility Study of New York State Safety Car Program - A Preliminary Report

This paper describes the legislative background, objectives and results to date of the New York State study of the feasibility of designing a prototype safety car suitable for limited mass production. The study is being conducted by the Department of Motor Vehicles' Research Division with the assistance of the Republic Aviation Division of Fairchild Hiller Corporation, Drivers Safety Service and William I. Stieglitz Assosciates. The preliminary results of the study, which is using the systems analysis approach, indicates that it is feasible to design a vehicle which can sustain barrier impacts at 50 mph, 40 mph side impacts, rear impacts at 50 mph and rolling impacts at 70 mph with the reduction of at least 50 per cent of the grades of injury for moderate through fatal seen in present-day automobiles. One conceptual design has been produced to date. The final report, including studies of economic feasibility, will be completed by August 1, 1966. The study is devoting attention to operating systems to reduce accident causes, structural systems to reduce injury causes and non-operating systems to reduce risk of accidents and injuries when the car is not being driven.