Crash Type and Impact Speed Statistic

 

crash-type-and-impact-speed-statistic

Impact Speed and Crash Type

Impact speed and crash type are statistically significant, and their coefficients consistently increase from the less severe outcomes injury to the most serious injury levels or death. The graphical table above shows the probability of a specific maximum injury level depending on the crash type and the impact speed. The speed used for the table was the average combined speed for each crash type rounded to the nearest 10 mph increment. Remember that the speed variable is defined differently for each crash type. The impact speeds of the two vehicles are added in head-on collisions, subtracted in rear-end crashes and averages for other types of collision.

In the case of head-on collisions, if the combined speed of the two vehicles at impact is 60 mph, the probability of having no injuries in the crash is 20.5%. However, if the combined speed is doubled to 120 mph, the probability of having no injuries is less than 1%. Likelihood of having at least one occupant suffer incapacitating of fatal injuries increase from 27.4% at 60 mph, to 73.4% at 120 mph.