All motor vehicle related fatalities, including pedestrian, motorcyclist and bicyclist deaths, in 1970-1971 in Maryland were examined by vehicle size, driver descriptives and situational variables. Occupant deaths per 100.000 years registered were substantially higher among smaller vehicles but pedestrian deaths were higher for larger vehicles. More than 88% of occupants, after exclusion of each index death, survived- suggesting that better energy management in vehicles would increase survival substantially.
Abstract