IMPROVING AUTOMOTIVE SAFETY: THE ROLE OF INDUSTRY, THE GOVERNMENT, AND THE DRIVER

This paper identifies three groups that can improve automotive safety. The three groups are the automotive industry by designing into cars such safety devices as seat belts, roll bars, or air bags; the government by taking such measures as improving road conditions, enforcing seat belt usage laws, or enforcing stricter anti-drunk-driving laws; and finally, the driver by modifying driving habits such as wearing seat belts and not driving while intoxicated. Of the seven strategies we define for improving automotive safety, this paper argues that as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) is the most applicable risk reduction strategy within the context of improving automotive safety. By applying the ALARA principle to past and proposed safety improvements, we demonstrate that the most lives saved per dollar spent would occur if drivers modified their driving habits.

• Corporate Authors:

  RAND Corporation

  1776 Main Street, P.O. Box 2138
  Santa Monica, CA  United States  90407-2138
• Authors:
  • Solomon, K A
  • Perkins, P E
  • Resetar, S
• Publication Date: 1985-11

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 36 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air bags; Automobile industry; Behavior; Drivers; Highways; Improvements; Manual safety belts; Safety equipment; Traffic law enforcement; Vehicle safety
• Old TRIS Terms: Vehicular safety
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00457176
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: RAND/P-7069-1
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 27 2004 9:40PM