Status Report 2006

Minicars earn ratings for front, side, and rear crashworthiness

Bigger generally is safer

Proposal to require ESC draws wide support

Going to and from school is prime time for teens to crash

New state laws improve highway safety by, for example, banning phone use

Top Safety Picks: 13 vehicles are cream of the crop for 2007

17 vehicles almost won but missed because of their seat/head restraint designs

ESC is a new requirement to earn 2007 award

Fatality Facts: Crash deaths went up among motorcyclists, down among teenagers in 2005

Side airbags are reducing driver deaths in both cars and SUVs

Event data recorders won't be required, but rules will apply to data that are recorded

Which cars have EDRs? This and other questions about event data recorders are addressed

Truck driver fatigue isn't lessening under federal rule changes

Death of Gen. Robert McDermott, former Institute chairman

Cover story on Institute Q&As

Belt reminders in Hondas are convincing motorists to buckle up

Electronic stability control is reducing multiple-vehicle crashes as well as crashes involving one vehicle

Belt reminders differ in type and persistence of the annoyance

Unreliability of FHWA licensure data causes Institute to stop use

Escalade's theft experience is worst among 2003-05 models

Misuse of traffic safety data can lead to erroneous conclusions and, in turn, to ill-advised policies and programs

Vehicle design improvements are main reasons for declining death rates in recent years

Fuel economy standards: Reform of program and new targets go further than NHTSA initially proposed

Death of Thomas C. Morrill reminds us of his contribution to Institute's transformation to research group

Proposal to boost fuel economy of SUVs, vans, and pickups would greatly reduce contradiction with safety

How vehicle weight, driver deaths, and fuel consumption relate

Erroneous finding about airbags stems from misuse of federal dataset

Nighttime belt use lags compared with rates during the day

Alaska and Mississippi join states with primary belt law enforcement

Incompatibilities between cars and light trucks are being lessened by steps automakers are taking to improve geometric matchups of vehicles' front ends

Brian O'Neill retires after 20 years as president of the Institute

Cell phone use while driving increases again in 2005, a concern in light of numerous studies indicating the risks

NHTSA's roof crush proposal is a step in the right direction, but only a step