SINGLE VEHICLE ACCIDENTS. A SUMMARY OF RESEARCH FINDINGS

MAJOR RESEARCH FINDINGS ON ONE-CAR ACCIDENTS GROWING OUT OF A NUMBER OF INDEPENDENT RESEARCH EFFORTS CONDUCTED IN RECENT YEARS WERE COLLECTED IN A SINGLE DOCUMENT. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO INFORM IN LAY LANGUAGE THE LEGISLATOR, THE PUBLIC OFFICAL, AND THE INTERESTED READER ABOUT THE SERIOUSNESS OF SINGLE-VEHICLE ACCIDENTS AND THEIR PROBABLE CASES. IT ALSO SUGGESTS STEPS THAT MIGHT BE TAKEN TO REDUCE THE ACCIDENT EXPERIENCE IN THIS TYPE OF MISHAP. SOME OF THE MAIN RESEARCH FINDINGS DISCUSSED IN THIS REPORT ARE: (1) LONE-VEHICLE ACCIDENTS ARE THREE TIMES AS LIKELY TO KILL AS OTHER CRASHES. IN RURAL ACCIDENTS 40 PERCENT OF FATAL ACCIDENTS INVOLVE ONLY ONE VEHICLE. THIS PERCENT IS INCREASING. (2) COMPARED TO STANDARD CARS, COMPACTS ARE TWICE AND SMALL CARS THREE TIMES AS LIKELY TO BE INVOLVED IN LONE-VEHICLE ACCIDENTS. ADDING A TRAILER QUADRUPLES THE RISK WITH ANY SIZE CAR. AS IN ALL ACCIDENTS, OLD AND ESPECIALLY YOUNG DRIVERS ARE MOST LIKELY TO BE INVOLVED. MEN AND WOMEN ARE EQUALLY LIKELY TO HAVE SUCH ACCIDENTS. LIKELIHOOD OF LONE-VEHICLE ACCIDENTS IS 10 TIMES AS GREAT BETWEEN TWO TO FOUR IN THE MORNING AS FROM EIGHT A.M. TO 6 P.M. (3) IN NINE OF TEN OF THESE ACCIDENTS, THE LONE-VEHICLE RAN OFF THE ROADWAY, 40 PERCENT MORE TO THE RIGHT THAN LEFT; 80 PERCENT WERE ON STRAIGHT ROADS, AND HALF OVERTURNED. NEARLY A THIRD WHICH LEFT THE ROADWAY GOT BACK ON, BUT WENT OFF AGAIN OR ROLLED OVER ON THE ROAD. (4) ALCOHOL CONTRIBUTES MORE THAN IN OTHER CRASHES ESPECIALLY AMONG YOUNGSTERS. FALLING ASLEEP WAS REPORTED IN 30 PERCENT. TIRES WERE BLAMED FOR 14 PERCENT, BUT THE RELIABILITY OF SUCH REPORTS IS QUESTIONABLE. SPEED IS IMPORTANT AS SHOWN BY THE CONSIDERABLE NUMBER WHO GET BACK ON THE ROAD AFTER LEAVING AND STILL HAVE AN ACCIDENT.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • 37 Pp, 20 REF
• Corporate Authors:

  Northwestern University, Evanston

  Traffic Institute, 405 Church Street
  Evanston, IL  United States  60208
• Authors:
  • Baker, J S
• Publication Date: 1968

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Age; Compact automobiles; Drunk drivers; Drunk driving; Fatalities; Rural areas; Single vehicle crashes; Time
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00220561
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Nat Safety Council Safety Res Info Serv
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 29 1994 12:00AM