This report examines data relating all car crashes occurring in Australia in 1990 where at least one occupant fatality resulted from an impact to the side of the vehicle. In total 34% of all cars with occupant fatalities sustained a side impact, with equal numbers of such impacts occurring to the driver and passenger sides. While side impacts were found to be more likely to occur in urban areas and involve a collision between vehicles at an intersection, this situation is far from typical. For example, 40% of all fatal crashes occur in rural areas and 59% occur mid-block (i.e. away from intersection). In addition 40% of side impacts results from a collision with a fixed object such as a tree or pole rather than being hit by another vehicle. The vast majority of side impact fatalities result from a very small number of crash types with four patterns accounting for 83% of multiple vehicle crashes and another four patterns of crashes accounting for 94% of single vehicle side impact crashes. Although left and right impacts were equally common among vehicles with occupant fatalities, a much higher proportion of potentially lethal side impacts occur on the passenger side but generally do not result in death because the passenger side seats are often unoccupied. (A)
Abstract