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Our Mission

      The mission of AORC is to save lives in motor vehicle-related crashes through the use of the latest lifesaving technologies.

Benefits of Membership

  • AORC members represent nearly 90% of the automotive occupant restraint supplier base, allowing it to speak out strongly and credibly for the industry on important issues affecting its future.
  • The AORC committees work for the industry on timely issues that benefit all members, including regulation, transportation, manufacturing, disposal, and proper use of the product (air bags and seat belts).
  • AORC provides representation in Washington DC on key industry issues allowing it to support positions that are vital to the total industry health,
  • AORC provides a point of interface with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that is beneficial to the industry in supporting and defining key issues.
  • AORC provides a point of interface with the U.S. Congress on key issues and provides information and expert testimony on these issues when needed,
  • AORC interfaces with other industry organizations (AAM, AIAM, IIHS and SAE) to reach consensus and take joint action when needed to benefit the industry as a whole,
  • AORC, through its president and its Public Affairs Committee, speaks for the industry and the member companies to the media, an important audience in its own right but also an important conduit to other key constituents.
  • AORC provides a monthly letter that reviews industry issues and Council activities and summarizes regulatory activities and addresses issues raised by our members.
  • AORC maintains a website to present the industry and Council, provide information on key safety issues through press releases and displays consumer information and descriptions of occupant restraints. Additionally, a "members only" page provides the monthly president's letter and other timely messages accessible only to the membership.
  • The AORC Annual General Meeting presents technical papers, reviews and discussions on key industry topics; provides industry interchange at the social events and topical presentations by respected industry leaders.
  • AORC serves on the board of such industry organizations as the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety and the Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign to unify effort and coordinate an effective joint message
    		• Administrative Office
    1081 Dove Run Road
    Suite 403
    Lexington, KY 40502
    Tel: 859 269-4240
    Fax: 859 269-4241
     
     
       
    Requirements of Membership

    There are four categories of membership within the AORC:

    • Systems Manufacturer, which is limited to those companies engaged in the manufacture of complete occupant restraint systems within the U.S.

    • Components Manufacturer, open to those companies currently engaged in the manufacture of any component parts or systems for vehicle restraint systems, or complete systems not sold in the U.S.

    • Materials Manufacturer, open to those companies actively engaged in the manufacture of materials or supplies for motor vehicle restraint systems.

    • Sponsoring Member, open to any company, organization, or individual involved in advancing the use or development of occupant restraints, or having a legitimate interest in the industry.

    All Systems Manufacturers are represented on the AORC Board of Directors and all Components and Materials Manufacturers are eligible to serve on the Board. All members may be represented on all standing and ad hoc committees, with the right to vote on all issues. Sponsoring Members, while entitled to all rights and privileges of membership, may serve on all committees in an advisory capacity only, and may not vote.

    All applications for AORC membership are subject to written approval by the Board of Directors. At present, the annual dues are:
    Systems Manufacturers
    50,000/yr
    Components Manufacturer
      6,000/yr
    Materials Manufacturer
    4,000/yr
    Sponsoring Members
    3,000/yr

    Council membership dues support our various educational and technical programs and underwrite the cost of our Annual General Meeting and technical committee activities.

     

    The AORC Story

    When Barney Oldfield's racecar team decided in 1923 that the boss needed a "safety harness" in his Indianapolis 500 racecar they called the lrvin Air Chute Company and a multi-billion dollar vehicle occupant safety industry was born. From that point on the makers of parachutes and seat belts for military and commercial aircraft set their sights on the emerging auto industry. And as they say, "the rest is history." And what a history it has been.

    The increased protection available today to vehicle drivers and passengers around the world is due in no small part to succeeding decades of design, engineering, educational, and legislative efforts by the members of the Automotive Occupant Restraints Council (AORC) and its predecessor organizations.

    The AORC of today evolved from earlier organizations with similar objectives: The American Safety Belt Institute (1956) and the American Seat Belt Council (1961). These organizations shepherded the fledgling seat belt industry through its formative years to ensure product quality, ethics, and good business practices. The ABSC was instrumental in establishing uniform production and quality standards for seat belts through testing and certification of its members' products, an especially vital function when the Department of Transportation mandated seat belts for all passenger cars in 1968.

    With the adoption of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 109, and the increasing safety consciousness of the driving public, the role of the Council shifted from testing and certification to public education and industry representation. The Council played a key role in promoting seat belt use through its "Saved by the Belt" program that recognized thousands of motorists whose lives had been saved by their seat belts in vehicle crashes. The ASBC became the voice of the industry, especially in promoting seat belt legislation worldwide.

    As occupant restraint technology progressed and inflatable restraints emerged as the new requirement in passenger cars, the ASBC included the emerging industry in its lifelong mission, changing its name to the Automotive Occupant Restraints Council in 1988. The name also reflected the diversification of its membership that was becoming international and expanding to include manufacturers and suppliers of systems and components for air bags, seat belts and seating, as well as other interior safety components.

    Today, after more than 40 years, the AORC is the only existing membership organization dedicated solely to the automotive occupant restraints industry. lt works tirelessly with vehicle manufacturers, government agencies, and safety and consumer organizations worldwide to develop and apply the technology that will save lives and reduce injuries. lts company members, more than 40 strong, are located in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia.