CALIFORNIA PROBES SINGLE-CAR ACCIDENT FATALITIES

A STUDY OF 409 CRASHES BY THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL SHOWED THAT MECHANICAL DEFECTS CAUSED OR CONTRIBUTED TO 18% OF SINGLE VEHICLE DEATHS. THE STUDY ALSO OBSERVED THAT ALMOST ALL OF THE MECHANICAL DEFECTS WERE ATTRIBUTED TO WEAR AND LACK OF MAINTENANCE. THE MOST COMMONLY OBSERVED MECHANICAL DEFECT WAS IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM WHICH ACCOUNTED FOR 35% OF ALL DEFECTS FOUND. NEXT MOST COMMON WERE STEERING SYSTEM DEFECTS, WHICH ACCOUNTED FOR 26%. OLDER VEHICLES TEND TO BE OVERINVOLVED IN MECHANICALLY DEFECTIVE CRASHES. THE ROLES OF THE HIGHWAY AND THE DRIVER, PARTICULARLY THE DRINKING DRIVER, ARE BRIEFLY NOTED.

• Publication Date: 1972-2

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 28-30
• Serial:
  • JOURNAL OF AMERICAN INSURANCE
  • Volume: 48
  • Issue Number: 1

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash causes; Defects; Fatalities; Mechanical failure; Motor vehicles; Service life; Single vehicle crashes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Vehicle age
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00221909
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Highway Safety Literature
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 17 1973 12:00AM