The results of a study of accident data on side-impact, fixed-object collisions are presented in this report. The Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) was used to determine basic characteristics of this type of collision such as seating position of fatally injured occupants, roadway type, surface conditions, and vehicle weights. The National Accident Sampling System (NASS) was used to examine these same characteristics for accidents of all severities. In addition, the effects of breakaway objects, guardrails, and impact conditions on these collisions were examined using the NASS data. Characteristics of side-impact, fixed-object accidents such as location of impact, body region injured, injury sources, deformation measurements, occupant age, and time of day were also investigated using the NASS data. The characteristics of fixed-object, side impacts were then compared to those of vehicle-to-vehicle side impacts.
Samenvatting