Collisions between cars and light trucks (which include utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and vans) were studied, using data from the Fatal Accident Reporting System and the Fatality Analysis Reporting System. Tables show vehicle occupant deaths for the years 1982 through 1996, by the types of vehicles colliding. Tables further disaggregated by impact points on the vehicles are available from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in electronic form. Ratios of driver deaths in colliding vehicles were studied. In collisions between cars, the fatality ratio varies by 1:10 if the weight ratio of the cars varies by 1:2. If a car is struck in the left side by another car, the death ratio for its driver is five times higher than if it were struck in the front. If struck by a light truck, the fatality ratio for a car driver is roughly double that if struck at the same side by a car of a similar weight as the truck. These figures must be interpreted with caution, because they could be influenced by confounding factors that could not be controlled. (A)
Abstract