Study Says Crash Test Results Don’t Translate to Real World

January 4th, 2008

A Virginia Commonwealth University study compares crash test data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) with government data on fatal crashes and finds that they fail to accurately project driver fatality risks for trucks.

The results indicate that the crash tests held by NHTSA and the IIHS are successful in predicting real-world crash outcomes for passenger cars — the ratings NHTSA and IIHS bestowed on passenger cars generally matched the cars’ safety record on the road. However, the ratings for trucks did not match real-world outcomes. For example, in the case of both NHTSA and IIHS, trucks that received the worst possible crash-test rating had on average lower driver fatality rates than trucks that received the best possible crash-test rating.

The study was published in the September issue of Accident Analysis & Prevention. (To see a complete copy of the study, click here.)

Entry Filed under: Safety Test