Automotive Fire Research Library at

                                             MVFRI

• NHTSA Reports

Click here to access NHTSA Fire Safety Reports.

Click here to access DOT/GM Settlement Fire Safety Reports.

On March 7, 1995, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and General Motors Corporation (GM) entered into an agreement, which settled an investigation that was being conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regarding an alleged defect related to fires in GM C/K pickup trucks. Under the settlement, GM agreed to provide support to NHTSA's effort to enhance the current Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 301, regarding fuel system integrity, through a public rulemaking process. GM also agreed to expend $51.355 million over a five-year period to support projects and activities that would further vehicle and highway safety, in the following areas:

• fire safety research
• public education
• crash test dummy research and development
• burn and trauma research
• computer modeling activities
• driver impairment research
• the purchase and distribution of child safety seats

The agreement required that GM follow certain procedures to obtain approval from NHTSA for the projects and activities to be conducted with these funds, and it required that GM report to NHTSA at least annually on the status, progress and results of these projects and activities. In addition, the agreement stated that all research undertaken pursuant to the agreement and other finalized products must be submitted to NHTSA and must be made publicly available.

During the period 1995 to 2001, General Motors devoted $10 million to motor vehicle fire safety research.  The results of that research program is documented on the DOT/GM Settlement section of the MVFRI website.

Click here to access DOT/GM Settlement Fire Safety Reports.

• Other Reports Related to Fire Safety

Click here to access Other Fire Safety Reports.