Fatalities in Frontal Crashes Despite Seat Belts and Air Bags – Review of All CDS Cases – Model and Calendar Years 2000-2007 – 122 Fatalities

Why are people still dying in frontal crashes despite seat belt use, air bags, and the crashworthy structures of late-model vehicles? Statistical analyses show the combination of seat belt use and air bags is highly effective, reducing fatality risk by 61% compared to an unbelted occupant of a vehicle not equipped with air bags – but 61% is not 100%. To address the question, an interdisciplinary NHTSA team reviewed every case of a frontal fatality to a belted driver or right-front passenger in a model year 2000 or newer vehicle in the Crashworthiness Data System (CDS) of the National Automotive Sampling System through calendar year 2007. Aside from a substantial proportion of these 122 crashes that are just exceedingly severe, the main reason people are still dying is because so many crashes involve poor structural engagement between the vehicle and its collision partner: corner impacts, oblique crashes, impacts with narrow objects, and underrides. By contrast, few if any of these 122 fatal crashes were full-frontal or offset-frontal impacts with good structural engagement, unless the crashes were of extreme severity or the occupants exceptionally vulnerable.

• Record URL:
  http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811102.PDF
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

  Office of Vehicle Research, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Bean, James David
  • Kahane, Charles J
  • Mynatt, Mark
  • Rudd, Rodney W
  • Rush, Carla J
  • Wiacek, Chris
• Publication Date: 2009-9

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Edition: NHTSA Technical Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; Tables;
• Pagination: 88p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air bags; Case studies; Crash severity; Crashworthiness; Fatalities; Frontal crashes; Seat belts; Underride override crashes
• Identifier Terms: Crashworthiness Data System; National Automotive Sampling System
• Uncontrolled Terms: Vehicle intrusion
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I80: Accident Studies; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01142616
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-811 102
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Oct 29 2009 3:37PM