DECLINE IN AUTOMOTIVE COLLISION INJURIES : A TEN YEAR COMPARISON OF CLINICAL CASES

STATISTICS ARE PRESENTED TO SHOW HOW THE MOTOR VEHICLE STANDARDS ESTABLISHED BY THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY SAFETY BUREAU HAVE EFFECTED INJURIES SUSTAINED IN COLLISIONS. STUDIES SHOW, NO DOUBT, THAT THE COMBINATION OF AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY EFFORTS AND THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY SAFETY BUREAU STANDARDS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR A REDUCTION IN COLLISION INJURIES. THE RATIO OF TOTAL INJURIES PER OCCUPANT REMAINED APPROXIMATELY THE SAME FOR THE THREE STUDY VEHICLE GROUPS OVER A TEN YEAR PERIOD. HOWEVER, THE RATIO OF MODERATE OR GREATER INJURIES PER OCCUPANT DECLINED OVER 50 PERCENT FROM THE LATE-1950 AND EARLY-1960 GROUP TO THE POST-1966 GROUP. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF HOOD PENETRATION, SIDE IMPACT, AND ROLL OVER COLLISIONS, HIGHER IMPACT SPEED AND GREATER IMPACT SPEED AND GREATER VEHICLE DEFORMATION MUST BE PRESENT IN COLLISIONS INVOLVING CURRENT DOMESTIC VEHICLES TO PRODUCE INJURIES SIMILAR TO THOSE OBSERVED IN EARLIER MODEL VEHICLES. THE SHIFT OF POSITION OF INJURY PRODUCING COMPONENTS IN THE VEHICLE INTERIOR DEMONSTRATES THE OVERALL EFFECT OF INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENT EFFORTS. DATA ALSO SUGGESTS THAT TWO AREAS, SIDE IMPACT AND ROLL OVER PROTECTION, ARE PRINCIPLE COLLISION AREAS THAT MUST BE IMPROVED.

  • Supplemental Notes:
    • pp 185 - 195, 10 FIG, 4 REF
  • Authors:
    • SIEGEL, A W
    • Runge, D E
    • Nahum, A M
  • Publication Date: 1969-10-16

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Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00220943
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Jul 21 1970 12:00AM