Relation Between Vehicle Age and Fatalities in Vehicle Collisions

 Posted on November 21, 2018 in Car Accidents

Automobile crashes can happen for many reasons, such as distracted driving, dangerous road conditions, or negligence to follow the rules of the road. When a vehicle collision does happen, the severity of the damage is often based on the quality of the safety measures included in the vehicle. Automobile safety has been a concern for as long as cars have been around, and with the advances in safety in more recent vehicles, cars are safer than ever before.

New vs. Old

A study released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concluded that drivers are more likely to be injured driving older vehicles. The study researched the outcomes of crashes with drivers driving vehicles from model year 1985-2012 and focused on fatal crashes between 2005-2011.

The data analyzed indicated that 26% of drivers wearing a seatbelt and driving a car less than a year old were killed, compared to 47% of drivers wearing a seatbelt and driving a vehicle over 21 years old. However, there is not as much of an increase among drivers not wearing a seatbelt. The data gathered says 77% of unrestrained collisions had fatalities in vehicles less than a year old compared to 81% in vehicles older than 21 years. The lack of increase is presumably because the safety benefits of newer vehicles do not have the same effect if the driver is not wearing a seatbelt during the collision.

The reason for this discrepancy in the data regarding drivers wearing seat belts can be broken down into multiple factors, but one of the factors is certainly the safety improvements made in new vehicles. Improvements such as anti-lock brake systems, better crumple zones to absorb the impact, increasing the amount and quality of airbags, seat belt quality, and more make newer vehicles safer overall. Driver behavior has also changed, with many more drivers wearing seat belts consistently now than in the past.

Contact a Skilled DuPage County Auto Collision Attorney

Driving a newer vehicle can lead to a decreased risk of injury or fatality due to the increase in safety measures present, but injuries may still happen in any vehicle. If you would like to pursue compensation and have been injured in a vehicle collision, our skilled Wheaton automobile collision lawyers can give you the care you need. Call the lawyers at The Law Offices of David W. Clark, P.C. today at 630-665-5678 for a free consultation.

Source:

https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/811825