An Analysis of Recent Improvements to Vehicle Safety
This report seeks to quantify the improved safety of newer vehicles and its contribution to historically low fatality and injury rates experienced in the United States in recent years. The authors develop statistical models of crash avoidance and crash worthiness and apply the results of these models to estimate the likely result of replacing newer vehicles with older vehicles and vice versa, while controlling for human and environmental factors that would otherwise cloud the result. The analysis finds remarkable improvements to vehicle safety. The authors estimate that the likelihood of crashing in 100,000 miles of driving has decreased from 30 percent in a model year 2000 car to 25 percent in a model year 2008 one, when both vehicles are driven “as new”. The likelihood of escaping a crash uninjured has improved from 79 to 82 percent as a result of improvements between the 2000 and 2008 car fleets. Improvements are also found for light trucks and vans, and for the chances of surviving a crash and avoiding incapacitation. The nationwide impact of these advancements is substantial. The authors estimate that improvements made after the model year 2000 fleet prevented the crashes of 700,000 vehicles; prevented or mitigated the injuries of 1 million occupants; and saved 2,000 lives in the 2008 calendar year alone. Of the 9 million passenger vehicles that were in crashes, the crashes of an estimated 200,000 of them were preventable by improvements to the model year 2008 fleet, and the injuries of 300,000 of their 12 million occupants would have been prevented or mitigated, including saving 600 lives.
- Record URL:
-
-
Corporate Authors:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Mathematical Analysis Division, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC United States 20590 -
Authors:
- Glassbrenner, Donna
- Publication Date: 2012-6
Language
- English
Media Info
- Media Type: Web
- Edition: Technical Report
- Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
- Pagination: 85p
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Crash injuries; Crashes; Crashworthiness; Fatalities; Traffic crashes; Vehicle factors in crashes; Vehicle safety
- Geographic Terms: United States
- Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01383571
- Record Type: Publication
- Report/Paper Numbers: DOT HS 811 572
- Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
- Created Date: Aug 22 2012 3:37PM