According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, approximately 2,400 people in the United States are killed and 60,000 are injured in automotive accidents each year because their heads strike pillars, side rails, headers or other interior components.  To address this safety issue, federal regulators have required automakers to provide increasingly better head protection in car and light truck interiors.

Cited by industry observers as the most important safety regulation since the requirement for air bags, this legislation will mean broader applications for energy absorbing foams into areas such as the side support pillars, headliners and sun visors to work in tandem with other safety components to provide optimal protection.

Foamex energy absorbing foams can already be found in door panels for side-impact protection and as knee bolsters in instrument panels.  This special engineered foam enhances passengers' safety and also diminishes interior vehicle noise.