THE EFFECTS OF NEW-CAR REGULATION ON FATALITY RATES

This work finds that motor vehicle safety regulation, in the form of current federal automobile safety standards and earlier state standards, is associated with substantial reductions in occupant fatality rates for cars covered by such regulation. Based on an eastern state's fatality data during 1972-75, it finds that: Cars sold prior to the beginning of such state or federal regulation (models prior to 1964) had an average yearly occupant fatality rate of 44 per 100,000 registered cars; Cars with front outboard lap seat belts as standard equipment required by state law (1964 to 1967 models), as well as some crash protection installed in relation to GSA standards (mainly in 1967 models) averaged 35 occupant deaths per 100,000 registered cars, 20% less than pre-1964 cars; For federally- regulated (post-1967) cars, occupant deaths averaged 27 per 100,000 registered cars yearly, 23% less than 1964-67 models and 39% less than pre-1964 models. No consistant differences in the rates at which they killed pedestrians were found among unregulated, state regulated, or subsequent federally-regulated cars. Regulations promulgated thus far have had no apparent effect on pedestrian fatality rates. /Author/

• Corporate Authors:

  Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

  1005 North Glebe Road
  Arlington, VA  United States  22201
• Authors:
  • Robertson, L S
• Publication Date: 1976-4

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 11 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash rates; Fatalities; Laws; Manual safety belts; Motor vehicles; Pedestrians; Standards; Vehicle safety
• Old TRIS Terms: Motor vehicle laws & regulations; Vehicular safety
• Subject Areas: Highways; Law; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00141777
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Safety Council Safety Research Info Serv
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 31 1977 12:00AM