Being hit by a 1,000-pound heavier vehicle results in roughly a one in one thousand increase in fatality risk.
Over the past 35 years, the average weight of light vehicles sold in the United States has fluctuated substantially. From 1975 to 1980, average weight dropped almost 1,000 pounds (from 4,060 pounds to 3,228 pounds), likely in response to rising gasoline prices and the passage of the Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) standard. As gasoline prices fell in the late 1980s, however, average vehicle weight began to rise, and by 2005 it had again reached its 1975 levels. In 2008, the average car on the road was roughly 530 pounds -- that is 20 percent -- heavier than the average car on the road twenty years earlier. Heavier vehicles are safer for their own occupants but are more hazardous for the occupants of other vehicles.
In Pounds that Kill: The External Costs of Vehicle Weight (NBER Working Paper No. 17170), authors Michael Anderson and Maximilian Auffhammer study data on all automobile collisions reported to the police in eight states -- a total of 4.8 million collisions. The probability of a fatality, conditional on a collision, is 0.19 percent -- or about one in five hundred. The authors find that being hit by a 1,000-pound heavier vehicle results in a 47 percent increase in the baseline probability of being killed in the accident -- roughly a one in one thousand increase in fatality risk, conditional on a collision. The fatality risk is even higher if the striking vehicle is a light truck (SUV, pickup truck, or minivan). These researchers estimate that the total external costs of vehicle weight that arise from fatalities alone are $93 billion per year. They estimate that the value of the external risk that is generated by the gain in fleet weight since 1989 is approximately 27 cents per gallon of gasoline and that the total fatality externality of heavier vehicles is roughly $1.08 per gallon.
The authors note that traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for persons under the age of 40 and are a major source of life-years lost. Even though lung cancer kills approximately four times as many Americans each year as traffic accidents, because the average lung cancer decedent is 71 years old while the average traffic accident decedent is only 39 years old, the number of life-years lost to traffic accidents is similar in magnitude to the number of life-years lost to lung cancer. This underscores the importance of understanding the determinants of fatal automobile accidents.
--Lester Picker
FAQs
Being hit by a 1,000-pound heavier vehicle results in roughly a one in one thousand increase in fatality risk. Over the past 35 years, the average weight of light vehicles sold in the United States has fluctuated substantially.
Are motor vehicle crashes cause of death among those between ages 5 and 34 in the United States? ›
A Leading Cause of Death in Younger People
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among those aged 5-34 in the United States.
Which size of vehicle usually is safer in a crash? ›
Overview. A bigger, heavier vehicle provides better crash protection than a smaller, lighter one, assuming no other differences between them.
What 90 of vehicle crashes can be attributed to _________________ driving? ›
Automobile accidents can be caused by almost anything — nature, weather, poor road conditions, vehicle failure — but according to experts, human error accounts for more than 90 percent of them.
What can happen if your vehicle weight is higher than the gross vehicle weight rating? ›
Damaging your vehicle - Brakes and tires are designed with the GVWR in mind. Exceeding the weight limits puts an extra strain on these parts, increasing the chance of a blowout and impacting your ability to stop safely. You can also damage the vehicle's frame, axles, and other systems.
What is the most important factor in fatal motor vehicle accidents? ›
Speeding is a major factor in traffic deaths and injuries.
Which age group is more likely to be involved in a vehicle crash? ›
According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, drivers between the ages of 16 and 17 are more likely to be involved in car accidents than drivers from any other age group.
What age group causes the most fatal car accidents? ›
High-Risk Groups: Teenagers and Older Adults. Teenagers are the highest-risk group for all types of car crashes—fatal, injury-causing, and property damage only. In addition, teens and older adults (65+) both have higher crash death rates than other age groups.
Are motor vehicle crashes the number cause of death? ›
Car crashes are the leading cause of death in the United States for people ages 1 to 54. There are 14.3 motor-related deaths per 100,000 people.
What is the most unsafe vehicle to drive? ›
But ten vehicles top the list of most dangerous cars in America, according to the IIHS's 2020 fatality report.
- Chevrolet Sonic. ...
- Nissan Versa Note. ...
- Fiat 500. ...
- Hyundai Elantra and the Kia Forte. ...
- Nissan Versa. ...
- Kia Rio. ...
- Ford Mustang GT Coupe, Hyundai Accent (Station Wagon), and Nissan Sentra. ...
- Chevrolet Sonic.
Generally, larger, heavier vehicles can hold up better under such forces than smaller, lighter models, which is why many families count on SUVs as the best cars for surviving an accident.
What is the safest car to have a crash in? ›
Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Acura, and Mazda stand out for the most accolades from the IIHS, a safety-focused organization funded by the auto insurance industry. A Rivian R1T after a moderate-overlap front crash test. It's an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ winner.
What is the single greatest common factor in fatal motor vehicle crashes? ›
In the United States, the most common cause of car crash deaths is driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Other common causes include distracted driving, such as using a cellphone while driving, speeding, reckless driving, and not wearing a seatbelt.
What is the number 1 cause for all motor vehicle crashes? ›
#1 Distracted Driving
We are all at risk whenever a driver looks at a cell phone or takes their attention from the road while behind the wheel. Sadly, using cell phones and GPS technology in vehicles has increased the number of car accidents caused by distracted driving.
How many seconds should you look ahead when driving? ›
Being able to see everything clearly helps drivers avoid any last-minute maneuvers. This is why it is recommended that drivers look ahead 12 seconds while driving in the city, and 12 to 15 seconds on the highway.
What is the relationship between body weight and risk of death and serious injury in motor vehicle crashes? ›
Increased body weight was associated with increased risk of mortality and increased risk of severe injury. The odds ratio for death was 1.013 (95% CI: 1.007, 1.018) for each kilogram increase in body weight.
What is the relationship of vehicle weight to the force of impact in a collision? ›
There is a direct relationship between speed and the force of impact. The greater the speed of a vehicle, the greater will the force of the impact. The greater the weight of a vehicle the greater the force of impact will be in a collision.
How does vehicle weight impact a crash? ›
Size of Car and Crash Impact
Heavier vehicles are better able to handle a crash than smaller vehicles because there is less force on the heavier vehicle. The heavier vehicle tends to push the lighter one backward during a collision. If you are in the smaller, lighter vehicle, you are more vulnerable to injury.
How are fatalities and weighted injuries calculated? ›
Fatalities and weighted serious injuries (FWSI) means a measure of the consequences of significant accidents combining fatalities and serious injuries, where 1 serious injury is considered statistically equivalent to 0.1 fatalities.
