Relationship Between Vehicle Size and Fatality Risk in Model Year 1985-93 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks

Details

• Creators:
  Kahane, C. J.
• Corporate Creators:
  United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Fatalities
  • Regression analysis
  • Vehicle weight
  • Vehicle characteristics
  • Vehicle size
  • Statistical analysis
  • Collisions
  • Mass
  • Weight
  • Vehicle size
  More +
• Publication/ Report Number:
  DOT HS 808 570
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Corporate Publisher:
  United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Abstract:
  Fatality rates per million exposure years are computed by make, model and model year, ; based on the crash experience of model year 1985-93 passenger cars and light trucks (pickups) vans ; and sport utility vehicles) in the United States during calendar years 1989-93. Regression analyses ; calibrate the relationship between curb weight and the fatality rate, adjusting for the effects of driver ; age, sex and other confounding factors. The analyses estimate the change in fatalities (including ; occupants of the "case" vehicle, occupants of other vehicles in the crash, and pedestrians/bicyclists) per ; 100 pound weight reduction in cars or in light trucks. A 100-pound reduction in the average weight of ; passenger cars, with accompanying reductions (based on historical patterns) in other size parameters ; such as track width, and in the absence of any compensatory improvements in safety technology, is ; associated with an estimated increase of 302 fatalities per year (±3-sigma confidence bounds range ; from an increase of 170 to an increase of 434). However, a 100-pound reduction in the average weight ; of light trucks is associated with an estimated decrease of 40 fatalities (± 3-sigma confidence bounds ; range from adecrease of 130 to an increase of 50). In car-light truck collisions, 80 percent of the ; fatalities are occupants of the cars. When light trucks are reduced in weight and size, they become less ; hazardous to occupants of passenger cars as well as pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists. ; Conversely, growth in the weight and size of light trucks could increase hazards to those groups.
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• Format:
  PDF
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/8727/dot_8727_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 12.47 MB]
• Collection(s):
  Volpe Center
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d87104ae974c569e9f590fcb34564d6dd07efaa0b9d68baab6d92633e6c72fa814add8b7627062deee6590c29b5a29cad78272f670f34f35ce4a7d51637af0eb