NHTSA Complaint #10246290 — 2002 HONDA ACCORD

ON SUNDAY THE 19TH, MY WIFE HAD AN ACCIDENT IN OUR VEHICLE INVOLVING A DEER. THE LOCATION WAS IN OUR AREA, ON A SEMI-RURAL 2-LANE ROAD. WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR, AND OCCURRED AT APPROX 11:30AM. THE DEER WAS AVERAGE IN WEIGHT, 70-90 LBS, VEHICLE SPEED WAS 45MPH AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. THE POINT OF IMPACT APPEARED TO BE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD, EYE HEIGHT OF THE DRIVER, AND WAS SEVERE ENOUGH TO SHATTER APPROX 90% OF THE WINDSHIELD. INTEGRITY OF THE WINDSHIELD REMAINED, AND WAS NOT EXPELLED FROM THE VEHICLE, NOR WAS IT PERFORATED, IT WAS JUST ALMOST COMPLETELY SHATTERED. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE ON MONDAY AT THE TOWING YARD, I DISCOVERED THAT THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE, FRONT AND BACK, HAD MANY PARTICLES OF SHARP GLASS SHARDS, AND ALMOST A COMPLETE COVERING OF WHAT I WOULD CALL "GLASS DUST", WHICH I DID NOT EXPECT. MY UNDERSTANDING OF SAFETY GLASS, WHEN SHATTERED, THE RESULT IS SMALL PARTICLES OF GLASS ABOUT THE SIZE OF A PENCIL ERASER, WITHOUT THE SHARP SHARDS AND DUST. MY DESCRIPTION OF THIS "DUST" IS JUST THAT - LIKE THE DUST ON FURNITURE IF LEFT UNDUSTED FOR A WHILE. HAD MY WIFE NOT BEEN WEARING SUNGLASSES, SHE WOULD HAVE HAD SERIOUS INJURY TO HER EYES. MY QUESTION (OR FOOD FOR THOUGHT) IS THIS. IS THERE A DIFFERENCE IN THE SAFETY STANDARDS FOR U.S. MANUFACTURED VEHICLE SAFETY GLASS, AND THAT WHICH IS IMPORTED? MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS ASSEMBLED IN THE U.S., BUT THE COMPONENTS WERE IMPORTED. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION. SINCERELY, GARY S. WESTBROOK *TR