COMPARISON OF MICHIGAN FATAL AND NON-FATAL CAR-INTO-TRUCK ACCIDENTS

The objective of the study was to determine how non-fatal car-into-truck accidents differ from fatal car-into-truck accidents. A random sample of 100 Michigan non-fatal car-into-truck accidents for 1976, filtered to include only passenger car rear-end of side impacts on a large truck or tractor-trailer, was drawn for comparison with the 94 fatal car-into-truck accidents in Michigan during 1972-1976 which were included in a prior study. The accident reports were examined and drivers and witnesses were interviewed by telephone in order to confirm accident configurations; whether car underride has occurred, and, if so, to what degree. The chief finding was that in the non-fatal accidents, underride occurs much less frequently and when it does occur, it usually is of minor or moderate degree. Other findings show that fatal crashes were mostly at night on straight rural roads, at relative impact sppeds averaging 35 mph, non-fatal crashes were mostly in daytime, on urban roads and intersections, at relative impact speeds averaging 10 mph and often on trucks and trailers of a design that prevents underride. It was concluded that priority should be given to increasing conspicuity of trucks and trailers at night and that trailer design should adapt to configurations which impede underride.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Prepared in cooperation with Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association of the United States, Inc., Detroit, MI.
• Corporate Authors:

  Highway Safety Research Institute

  Huron Parkway and Baxter Road
  Ann Arbor, MI  United States  48109

  Motor Vehicles Manufacturers Association

  320 New Center Building
  Detroit, MI  United States  48202
• Authors:
  • Minahan, D J
  • O'Day, J
• Publication Date: 1979-8

Media Info

• Pagination: 45 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Automobiles; Casualties; Crash injury research; Crash investigation; Crashes; Fatalities; Highways; Motor vehicles; Night; Recommendations; Research; Rural areas; Rural highways; Safety and security; Side crashes; Speed; Tractor trailer combinations; Traffic crashes; Traffic safety; Traffic speed; Trailers; Transportation safety; Trucks; Underride override crashes; Urban areas; Visibility
• Uncontrolled Terms: Mortality
• Geographic Terms: Michigan
• Subject Areas: Highways; Motor Carriers; Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00312851
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transportation Statistical Reference File, TSC
• Report/Paper Numbers: UM-HSRI-79-49 Final Rpt.
• Files: TSR
• Created Date: May 7 1980 12:00AM