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IMS Sienna Rampvan Passes NHTSA Crash Testing |  |
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Farmington, NM—June 17, 2003—Independent Mobility Systems announced today that the Sienna Rampvan, the company's new wheelchair-accessible minivan, has successfully completed crash testing in compliance with the requirements of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Sienna Rampvan pairs the 2004 Toyota Sienna minivan with the IMS mobility conversion. IMS was the first in the mobility industry to comply with the U.S. government's crash testing requirements, and for more than a decade the company has continued to improve the safety of its vehicles through advanced engineering and diligent testing. The three-phase testing of the Sienna Rampvan was performed at MGA Research Corporation's automotive testing facility in Burlington, WI. According to Paul Edwards, IMS' engineering manager, "The test vehicle was subjected to front, rear, and side impacts using industry-standard crash dummies and procedures." After each impact, Edwards explained, the converted minivan was rated according to how well the vehicle withstood the crash. The van was also subjected to a 360-degree rollover examination to check for fuel leaks. Government regulations allow for a small amount of fuel to leak immediately after a test collision. "We had zero fuel leakage in three crashes, so the conversion performed perfectly," Edwards said. The first crash was a frontal impact, in which the Rampvan impacted a solid barrier at 30.1 miles per hour (mph), to simulate a head-on collision. The Sienna's forward crumple zones bore the brunt of the force, allowing the vehicle to achieve an IMS best-ever Head Injury Criteria (HIC) rating for the frontal impact test. The purpose of the second, rear impact test is to ensure compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 301, which sets standards of integrity for vehicle fuel systems. IMS relocates the Sienna's fuel tank from the center of the van to behind the rear axle, so this was a critical measure of the safety of the conversion. After a 30.2 mph rear-barrier impact, the results were excellent. No fuel leakage was detected, and the conversion's high tensile steel safety cage effectively mitigated the force of the crash. The third test was the side impact. Though current government regulations allow a less stringent 20 mph flat-barrier crash, IMS elected to perform the more severe enhanced side crash test, which uses a deformable bumper barrier traveling at 33.5 mph. The Sienna Rampvan passed this third test safely and successfully, with no fuel leaks, ensuring compliance with both current and future standards. "We're very pleased with the test results," said Greg Anesi, president and founder of IMS. "Toyota makes a great van—a very safe van—and we make the safest conversion in the industry. We knew from the design phase that this was going to be one of the safest mobility vehicles on the road." With crash testing successfully completed, the Sienna Rampvan now meets or exceeds all U.S. and Canadian safety standards. IMS plans to continue with its rollout of the Sienna Rampvan in its initial launch markets in California and Arizona. The conversion company expects to deliver its first retail unit in August 2003. About Independent Mobility SystemsA privately held corporation, Independent Mobility Systems, Inc. was founded in 1987 in Farmington, NM. IMS was built on the philosophy that all Americans deserve reliable, accessible personal transportation. The new Sienna Rampvan is just the latest addition to a respected product line dedicated to assistive mobility. Further information about IMS and its products can be found on the company's home page at http://www.imsvans.com.
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