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IMPLEMENTATION AND INTERACTION BETWEEN CEN STANDARDS AND U.S. PROCEDURES: IMPLEMENTATION OF CEN AND U.S. PROCEDURES ON A GLOBAL BASIS: THE UNITED STATES

A U.S. highway safety product manufacturer (Energy Absorption Systems, Inc.) discusses his experience in trying to introduce crash cushions developed in the United States to overseas markets. He found it necessary to stop trying to sell a product and start selling a concept: the concept of using properly tested and designed crash cushions to make roads safer. Everyone made it very clear that their country was not the United States (speed is different, cars are smaller, people actually wear seat belts instead of talking about them, product liability is much greater in the U.S., and the "not invented here" syndrome is ever present). After explaining that although conditions were different in the various countries, the physics of a crash were very similar and then presenting test results, the crash cushion was finally accepted and trial units were installed to allow local officials to gain confidence in their effectiveness. The manufacturer then comments on: how the European Committee for Normalization (CEN) harmonization of standards for crash cushions will affect U.S. manufacturers; what CEN/U.S. harmonization will mean (competition, joint ventures); the effect of CEN harmonization on U.S. manufacturers in non-European countries; and, in conclusion, some questions that still need to be answered before the entire harmonization concept is successfully implemented.