Side impact motor vehicle crashes: driver, passenger, vehicle and crash characteristics for fatally and nonfatally-injured rear-seated adults.

Chang Liu,Joyce C Pressley

doi:10.1186/s40621-016-0088-1

Abstract

BackgroundMost studies of rear-seated occupants have focused on or included pediatric occupants which may not translate to adults. This study examines passenger, driver, vehicle and crash characteristics for rear-seated adult occupants involved in side crashes.MethodsThe National Automotive Sampling System General Estimates System (NASS/GES) for calendar years 2011–2014 was used with accompanying weights to examine the occupant, vehicle and crash characteristics associated with injury in rear-seated adults (n = 395,504) involved in a side crash. A weighted subpopulation analysis includes occupants travelling in a vehicle with an IIHS safety rating (n = 39,208), which was used to control for vehicle safety. Statistical analysis used Chi-square tests and multilevel multivariable logistic regression. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) are reported with 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs).ResultsRear-seated occupants on the same side as the crash impact were more likely to be severely/fatally injured than occupants seated on the opposite side (Multivariable adjusted OR: 2.54, 95 % CI: 2.31–2.79), as were those in angle crashes (Multivariable adjusted OR: 10.85, 95 % CI: 9.24–12.73). Rear-seated occupants of belted drivers were 3.28 times more likely to be belted compared to rear-seated occupants of an unbelted driver. In a subpopulation analysis of all same-side crashes, unrestrained occupants were 5.96 times more likely to be severely/fatally injured compared to restrained occupants.ConclusionRestraint use was protective for rear-seated adult occupants involved in side crashes, including those in same-side crashes. Angle and same-side crashes are associated with increased injury severity.

Highlights

Most studies of rear-seated occupants have focused on or included pediatric occupants which may not translate to adults
Front-seated drivers of vehicles with a safety rating of “good” are reported to be 70 % less likely to die when involved in side crashes compared to vehicles in the poorly rated category (Teoh and Lund 2011), but this was not seen in a small sample of older rear-seated adult occupants involved in fatal collisions (Raneses and Pressley 2015)
The aims of this study are to examine injury outcomes for rear-seated adult occupants involved in a side crash with respect to injury severity and: 1) driver, passenger, vehicle and crash characteristics; 2) seating position and point of impact; and 3) whether and to what extent injury severity is mitigated by other characteristics, such as vehicle side crash safety ratings and striking vehicle characteristics

Summary

Introduction

Most studies of rear-seated occupants have focused on or included pediatric occupants which may not translate to adults. This study examines passenger, driver, vehicle and crash characteristics for rear-seated adult occupants involved in side crashes. Rear-seated adult occupants involved in a fatal crash who are belted have lower mortality than unbelted rearseated occupants except possibly those in same-side crashes (Raneses and Pressley 2015). This is consistent with reports of frontal same-side crashes where it has been noted that the most severe injury comes from. Further elucidation of associated factors may identify areas of intervention to further reduce motor vehicle occupant injury and mortality

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