Insurance group seeks compatible SUV, car standards By David Shepardson Detroit News Washington Bureau Washington - U.S. motorists could save thousands of dollars in crash repairs if car and SUV bumpers were more compatible, according to a study released today by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Testing by the group showed that even slow-speed rear crashes - at 10 miles per hour - can cost $3,000 to $9,900 in repair bills. The industry-funded group that lobbies for auto safety improvements wants the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to require bumpers on all light trucks and set new rules to make the vehicles more compatible. 'SUVs and cars share the road,' said Joe Nolan, chief administrative officer for the nonprofit research group. 'The problem is they don't share the same bumper rules, and consumers end up paying the price.' Federal rules require all cars to have bumpers that protect within a zone of 16 to 20 inches from the ground. That means car bumpers better line up during crashes and help minimize damage. But there are no bumper requirements for SUVs, minivans or pickups; virtually all light pickup trucks, however, have bumpers, automakers noted. Automakers oppose the institute's efforts to require new standards for bigger vehicles, saying they would reduce 'the functionality and versatility' of SUVs and other light trucks. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers - which represents Detroit's Big Three, Toyota Motor Corp. and eight other automakers - said lowering SUV bumpers would not add any safety benefits. A lower ground clearance could reduce the amount of payload light trucks could carry. 'We can certainly understand the insurance industry's interest in managing their repair costs during tough economic times, but this isn't a safety issue,' Alliance spokesman Wade Newton said. 'Automakers have worked hard - with the IIHS and others - to address safety-related vehicle compatibility issues through our voluntary agreement to engineer vehicles so they're more compatible in front and side-impact crashes. In 2003, automakers voluntarily agreed to make cars and light trucks more compatible in front and side crashes over a six year period. By last summer, all vehicles complied with the voluntary standards. This is the latest push by the insurance institute. In July 2008, the organization petitioned NHTSA to amend the existing bumper standard to require compliance by light trucks. The agency sought public comment in the summer of 2009 and is still considering the petition. 'We are completing our analysis of those responses along with other data available to us and will announce our decision upon completion of our review,' NHTSA spokeswoman Karen Aldana said Wednesday. Regulators have previously said requiring light trucks to have bumpers would compromise off-road performance and make the vehicles hard to use at loading ramps. The institute has argued that other features, air dams, bumper covers, exhaust pipes and other trim mounted lower than the bumpers, get in the way in such instances. 