NHTSA conducted a survey from April to October 2005 to collect information about the types of restraint systems that were being used to keep children safe while riding in passenger vehicles. In particular, NHTSA was interested in whether drivers with Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH)- equipped vehicles were using LATCH to secure their child safety seats to the vehicle, and if so, were these seats properly installed. The make/model and the type of restraint installed in each seating position were recorded for each of the vehicles; demographic characteristics and the type of...

This report aims to characterize the drivers, infrastructure, and environment associated with fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes that occur at roadway intersections in the United States. Trends of these characteristics have been presented for the eight-year period from 1997 to 2004, the latest year for which such data was available at the time of this analysis. Of particular interest are the type and condition of traffic control devices present at the intersection, potential driver and environment-related contributing factors, as well as violations that were charged to the drivers involved...

The first generation of frontal air bags saved the lives of thousands of drivers and adult or teenage right front passengers. But they harmed occupants positioned close to the air bag at the time of deployment, especially infants and children. In 1998-1999, air bags were redesigned by depowering - by removing some of the gas-generating propellant or stored gas from their inflators - and/or by reducing the volume or rearward extent of air bags, positioning them further from occupants, tethering and hybrid inflators. NHTSA facilitated the redesign by permitting a sled test in lieu of a barrier...

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 201 - Occupant Protection in Interior Impact - was upgraded in 1995, with a 1998-2002 phase-in, to reduce occupants' risk of head injury from contact during crashes with a vehicle's upper interior, including its pillars, roof headers and side rails, and the upper roof. Initially, energy-absorbing materials alone were used to meet the standard; later, some vehicles were also equipped with head-protection air bags. NHTSA does not yet have enough crash data to evaluate the injury-reducing effectiveness of the energy-absorbing materials. However, the...

This technical report provides descriptive characteristics on vehicles that have rolled over and on injuries to occupants of these vehicles. The data is provided by categories that are thought to be of interest to the customers of NHTSA's National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA), both internal and external. In particular, the authors focus on passenger vehicles that were in single-vehicle crashes and rollovers, and on injuries of occupants of passenger vehicles that were in single-vehicle rollovers.

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 214, "Side Impact Protection" was amended to assure occupant protection in a 33.5 mph crash test and phased-in to new passenger cars during model years 1994-1997. A Thoracic Trauma Index, TTI(d) is measured on Side Impact Dummies seated adjacent to the impact point. Manufacturers upgraded side structures and affixed padding in cars to improve TTI(d). Later, they installed two types of side air bags - torso bags and head air bags - for additional occupant protection in cars and LTVs. This report provides statistical analyses of 1993-2005 crash data from...

Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is a safety technology designed to enhance a vehicle's stability and control in all driving situations ESC first became available in the United States in 1997 Statistical analyses of 1997-2004 crash data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and 1997-2003 crash data from the State data files estimate reductions with ESC for various types of crash involvements

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is pleased to present its Traffic Safety Facts 2006: A Compilation of Motor Vehicle Crash Data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the General Estimates System. This report combines data from two of our key crash databases, providing statistics on traffic crashes of all severities, from those that result in property damage to those that result in the loss of human life.

This purpose of this report is to: * Analyze fatal two-vehicle motorcycle crashes for trends and crash characteristics using FARS (Fatality Analysis Reporting System) data; and * Identify possible factors relating to the drivers/operators in these crashes.

One of the most important factors that affects a person's risk of injury in a motor vehicle crash is the age of the person. This study investigates patterns of injury severity, location of injuries, and contact sources for the driver injuries by driver age. Based on the data from NHTSA's National Automotive Sampling System - Crashworthiness Data System (NASS-CDS) from 1993 through 2004, this study examines in great detail the driver injury severity, injured body regions, and injury contact sources by driver age in rollover and non-rollover real-world traffic crashes. The effect of seat belt...