Lateral Impact-An Analysis of the Statistics in the NCSS

Abstract

<div class="htmlview paragraph">Data from the National Crash Severity Study (NCSS) has been analyzed with respect to lateral impacts. Accident variables, vehicle variables, and occupant variables, and their interactions have been considered. Emphasis has been placed on occupant variables, especially occupant injury patterns.</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">This report is mainly a compendium of the data, including a comparison of the NCSS statistics with those from France, Germany, and Great Britain. Overall, these lateral impact statistics are quite similar to results of other field accident studies, which is an interesting observation given the diverse vehicle and driver populations and the differing traffic situations experienced by those populations.</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">Conclusions have been drawn regarding typical lateral impact situations and the effectiveness of seatbelts in lateral impacts.</div>