Automobile Collision Data: An Assessment of Needs and Methods of Acquisition Page: II
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3* Improving the Data Base
NHTSA has not provided a sampling plan to support
requested appropriations for crash data acquisition programs
in the last three years. In order to rectify the inadequacies
of the existing data base and the current crash data
acquisition system, a comprehensive sampling plan must be
developed.
The rate of acquisition of collision reports should be
increased to 500,000 to 1,000,000 per year at an estimated
cost of $3-10 million annually. Causal severity should be
measured and reported. This could be done by using disk
recorders at a cost per report of about $133. Alternately,
vehicle deformation could be measured and analyzed to de-
termine severity at a cost of about $20 per report. However,
if a cheap crash severity measuring device could be developed,
it would eliminate the tedious measurement and analysis of
vehicle deformation.
The consequences of not getting data are, first, sus-
taining a continuing societal 10SS of at least $22 billion
per year in automobile death, injury and damage without
developing adequate tools to correct the problem; and second,
imposition of $7 billion to $14 billion in consumer costs for
meeting existing, proposed, and planned future motor vehicle
safety standards whose benefits will continue to be un-
certain.
Current NHTSA programs (multidisciplinary accident
investigation, air cushion restraint system evaluation,
fatal accident reporting, pedestrian-cyclist accident
survey) should be continued. They are necessary to
answer specific safety questions .
4. Further Considerations
If sophisticated tape crash recorders were used, there
may be secondary benefits to driver training programs. For
example driver errors may be more readily determined and the
effectiveness of driver training may be better measured.
If crash recorders are installed, there is the possibility
that their readings could be used in liability cases. This
matter should be examined more fully in the legislative process.
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United States. Congress. Office of Technology Assessment. Automobile Collision Data: An Assessment of Needs and Methods of Acquisition, report, February 17, 1975; [Washington D.C.]. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc39601/m1/4/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.