The distributions of injuries occuring to drivers of recent model years cars involved in highway crashes are compared with the injury rates predicted by the NCAP crashtest results. Fatality rates, fatal and serious injury rates, and moderate through fatal injury rates are compared with five different crashworthiness indices derived from the crash test results. Comparisons are also made under varying crash conditions ranging from drivers wearing and not wearing safety belts in all types of crashes, to belted drivers only involved in moderate to high speed frontal impact crashes.
Abstract