Safety Studies & Reports

NHTSA Publishes Report on Non-traffic Motor Vehicle Injuries and fatalities posted 05/04/2004

15-Passenger Van Safety posted 6/1/2004

There is growing concern regarding the crash involvement and safety of 15-passenger vans and the resulting injuries and fatalities. There were approximately 500,000 registered 15-passenger vans in 2001, an increase of over 280 percent since 1990. Between 1990 and 2001, 1,441 15-passenger vans were involved in fatal crashes that resulted in 1,003 fatalities.

Comparison of Insurance Costs

Comparison of differences in insurance costs for passenger cars, station wagons/passenger vans, pickups and utility vehicles on the basis of damage susceptibility.

Automatic Wireless Transmission of Serious Injury Probability Ratings

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Reducing Highway Deaths and Disabilities with Automatic Wireless Transmission of Serious Injury Probability Ratings from Crash Recorders to Emergency Medical Services Providers

Bumper Q&A's

Answers to some frequently asked questions about Bumpers.

Consumer Braking Information Initiative

Methodology Study of the Consumer Braking Information Initiative.

Equipment

General information regarding the safety of equipment associated with motor vehicles.

Fuel Economy Report To Congress

The Annual Update on the Automotive Fuel Economy Program summarizes the fuel economy performance of the vehicle fleet and the activities of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Fuel Economy Web Site

Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency present the Fuel Economy Web Site designed to help the public factor energy efficiency into their car buying decisions. This site offers information on the connection between fuel economy, advanced technology, and the environment.

Investigation: Fuel Tank Integrity in Rear Collisions - posted 10/3/2002

(summary) The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Service Query (SQ01-014) after reviewing a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) (Ford Article 01-21-14) issued by Ford Motor Company (Ford). The TSB provides information and suggests modifications aimed at reducing the potential for post-rear crash fuel tank punctures in Ford’s Panther Platform vehicles produced during Model Years (MY) 1992-2001.

NCAP: Has It Led to Stiffer Light Trucks and Vans?

NHTSA Presentations to National Academy of Sciences (posted 4/26/2001)

As requested by Congress, this project will assess the adequacy of a proposed federal requirement for consumer safety information about motor vehicle rollover resistance, which would be based upon a static measure of vehicle stability. April 11-12, 2001

Overview Of Vehicle Compatibility/LTV Issues

Collisions between light trucks, vans, and SUVs and passenger cars are causing greater damage to cars than passenger car and passenger car collisions.

Press Release

Cellular Phones, Other Wireless Devices Offer Benefits, Carry Risks
Many U.S. Passenger Vehicles Are Driven on Under-inflated Tires, NHTSA Research Survey Shows

Recording Automotive Crash Event Data

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The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended that automobile manufacturers and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration work cooperatively to gather information on automotive crashes using on-board collision sensing and recording devices.

The Economic Cost of Motor Vehicle Crashes, 1994

Summary section only from above (6.7k) This report presents the results of an analysis of motor vehicle crash costs in 1994. The total economic cost of motor vehicle crashes in 1994 was $150.5 billion.

The Economic Impact of Motor Vehicle Crashes, 2000 (posted 05/09/2002)

Press Release Economic Impact of U.S. Motor Vehicle Crashes Reaches $230.6 billion, New NHTSA Study Shows

TREAD ACT - Insurance Study

Trunk Entrapment Report to Congress

In June 1998, through the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, Congress directed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to study the benefits of a regulation to require the installation in a motor vehicle of an interior device to release the trunk lid. The safety hazard to be mitigated by an interior trunk release device is "motor vehicle trunk entrapment," i.e., providing a means to allow trunk entrapment victims to escape from the trunk of a motor vehicle.

Vehicle Wireless Communications Report

An Investigation of the Safety Implications of Wireless Communications in Vehicles