To substantially reduce the high number of traffic fatalities and injuries, more needs to be done to prevent crashes by understanding the events leading up to a crash. The automotive industry has already applied significant resources into the research and development of crash avoidance features in vehicles. Many of the new features (ESC, traction control, lane-departure warning systems, etc.) are starting to appear in the fleet of newer model vehicles. NHTSA and other safety researchers are currently evaluating the effectiveness of these new technologies. Available databases, such as the National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) Crashworthiness Data System (CDS) do not provide information that can specifically serve the purpose of identifying pre-crash scenarios and the reason underlying the critical pre-crash events – information crucial to the evaluation and development of emerging crash avoidance technologies. Additional data are needed to identify factors associated with crash causation. With this objective, in 2005 NHTSA was authorized under Section 2003(c) of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEALU) to conduct a national survey to collect on-scene data pertaining to events and associated factors related to a crash. NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA) has conducted the National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey (NMVCCS) of crashes with focus on the factors related to pre-crash events involving light passenger vehicles. This research note provides a brief description of the NMVCCS survey design, scope, the nature of information collected, and data limitations. Also, some statistics related to the driver, vehicle, roadway, and environment that often play a role in the crash, as collected through NMVCCS have been presented in this research note. This note also serves as a companion publication to the report to Congress that NHTSA submitted in September 2008. (Author/publisher)
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