US road death rate down due to safer cars

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) of the United States has released a study that shows declining death rates for road accidents in the US are due to safer vehicles, not better drivers or improved roadways.

Influence of Vehicle Design Improvements

deathrates.gif
X-axis: Year, Y-axis: Driver deaths per million registered vehicles. Source: IIHS

The graph shows the actual rate of deaths in highway accidents from 1985 to 2004, and the hypothetical rate of death if cars now were still based on 1985 designs.

The hypothetical death rate was formulated through separating vehicle effects from other effects on auto accident death rates from 1985 to 2004, and with that data estimating what the death rate would be if people still drove the same cars they drove in 1985. Factors included into the estimation includes vehicle usage pattern as the vehicles aged.

Traffic environments in the USA have actually become more dangerous since 1994, but vehicles that are safer have helped offset the death rate. In the case of no vehicle safety improvements, death rates actually go up from 1994 onwards in the hypothetical situation.

I believe Malaysian lives are equally as important as American lives. Airbags. ABS. Crumple zone. Crash test results. These words have been repeated over and over again that it’s getting kind of tiring. The majority of the rakyat can only afford the Proton Saga if they need a bigger car than the affordable supermini alternatives (Naza Sutera, Perodua cars) that we have. Any MP reading this blog who wants to fight for our right to affordable and safe vehicles?

For more information on the study, read this PDF file.

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Paul Tan

After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

Comments

  • armandd (Member) on Aug 13, 2006 at 12:02 pm

    this is the pathetic reality of malaysia's automotive policy. if not for the excessive tax and import duty, many road deaths and and injuries could have been prevented since malaysians could actually afford safer cars.

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  • jtshin (Member) on Aug 13, 2006 at 6:46 pm

    In malaysia… u hv to pay big bucks for safety… so… wat to do if cant afford? thats why proton saga sell so well nowadays… AP craps… n automotive safety policy sucks as well.. bad…

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  • Isamu (Member) on Aug 13, 2006 at 6:50 pm

    This topic is a taboo to them MPs I think. In Malaysia, there is an established world-leader in safety products cant even get the license to sell their products here.. Expand your mind readers.. Shall we get an only petition done or what?

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  • DAN (Member) on Aug 13, 2006 at 6:58 pm

    this gov only know how to make profit for there own that minority.

    there r stupid , why dont if there really know how to do business why dont go n invest at other place rather then n find a easy money from rakyat.

    n come out a stupid policy AP this n that even there own rakyat dont believe there own production n quality.

    this type off act like there know well, dont like people say there stupid but there like to do a stupid thing.

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  • OtakOtak (Member) on Aug 13, 2006 at 9:02 pm

    So there are statistical correlation to support between safer car & reduce accidents rates. NAP suck money, yet make Malaysian life cheap!

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  • jzkzlz (Member) on Aug 13, 2006 at 10:12 pm

    That is the chart for US..

    How about Malaysia??

    Any statistics for our country…

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  • Joe Ooi (Member) on Aug 13, 2006 at 10:15 pm

    "Consumers still think it is a bit strange that P1 going to be protected under NAP for whatever performance and absolute products they churn out". The motorist fraternity sentiment took in the perception that they had been sucked of virtually everything, except P1 still enjoy generous NAP and grace-and-favor in its homes protected market.

    The P1 has had the NAP created especially for them to taken away everything economic opportunity in auto sector regardless of adverse consequences to consumers, including sacrifice standard/basic safety features like ABS, airbag, NCAP test, etc. They suck wide monetary from consumers yet no social responsibilities at all but retain their so call “covet title of national icon”.

    As far as that piece of pariah NAP crap is there, more and more unsafe car will be landed in our country, regardless of local or imported makes. Despite the “lurid headlines” surrounding P1 hype on “strategic partner” and let the MD have more time to tidy out P1 house, but to see new model(s) with better safety features or discontinue the existing unsafe car remain “out of MD agenda”!

    The existing unsafe cars on our roads couple with “hell-drivers” with treacherous road conditions (except highway) would continue to claim more life including against the innocent pedestrian. Government effort to educate public on road safety campaign is “half-past-six” effort as the P1-led unsafe cars leading to motorist “face certain death” on the road is highly probable. It is look like NAP compelling "the motorist committed to sacrificing their cheap lives on unsafe car and G will not allow any foreign safe cars to be sold at affordable price to the consumers” – protect P1 mah……. This is the prices the consumers have to pay in Car-Tax-Land – high price for car yet life is so cheap on the road.

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  • albagmane (Member) on Aug 13, 2006 at 10:36 pm

    malaysian roads suck! hole here hole there, even the safest cars can be spoiled by these nasty roads… so before any road safety policies are done, please ensure all the roads are safe and holeless!!! don juz put attentions on wat stupid bridge or bullet train projects… damn!

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  • fookeatmin1989 (Member) on Aug 13, 2006 at 10:37 pm

    Duh….Just go to Indian temple and ask the priest to make a prayer for your car….that's what we can do at least……………….There's no way we can survive alive without those safety features when it really comes to accident(sometimes,don't blame on driver's fault when accident happen because it just happen).

    As it's a 'budget car'….our national carmaker don't think it's necessary(safe cost in this competitive market so that the car will be cheaper).Sigh,really unfair.Life is not cheap though.

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  • e-nabilll (Member) on Aug 13, 2006 at 11:22 pm

    seriously its all in the hand of government..thy can easily draw up a draft saying any car that is out of factory line mus hav airbags or ABS…very easy..but wd any of the local manuafactures obey this??

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  • jtshin (Member) on Aug 14, 2006 at 12:54 am

    e-nabilll, the problem is, there's no such implementation on the wajib of ABS n airbags n safety tests on Malaysian cars. If the gov implement it, they sure hv to follow. Like previously, the rear seat's seat belt. now all cars got seat belts at rear of new cars manufatured… even Kancils.

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  • szw (Member) on Aug 14, 2006 at 1:49 am

    m'sian companies shud giv more safety equipment or giv stronger cars like proton .

    don be so kiamsiap like perodua .

    earn money oni .

    don care ppl's life .

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  • satrialover (Member) on Aug 14, 2006 at 4:46 am

    Please drive properly my friends. Don't let this happen to you. I feel so sad a whole family died. Paul Tan: Could you load this pictures up as a reminder to our Malaysian friends to drive properly? Thanks Paul.

    http://www.ogrish.com/archives/road_accident_in_p…

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  • satrialover (Member) on Aug 14, 2006 at 4:48 am

    In relation to the posts, if the car that crashed was a volvo, probably the people would only be injured. But of course I cannot be 100% for sure. What makes a journey safe is 70% is driver driving habits, 30% is the type of car that is manufactured. If that is volvo, even if some family members died, some would have probably survived. Who knows no one will die?

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  • freeze (Member) on Aug 14, 2006 at 5:04 am

    What car is that in the link? Surely is not a Proton or Perodua.

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  • satrialover (Member) on Aug 14, 2006 at 5:08 am

    I am not sure. They didn't show the car type.

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  • satrialover (Member) on Aug 14, 2006 at 5:10 am

    This is the car registration number. Probably the family name is Chia?

    http://www.ogrish.com/archives/2005/may/ogrish-do…

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  • Paul Tan on Aug 14, 2006 at 5:25 am

    Chia is the name of the JPJ staff that did their road tax or something.

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  • satrialover (Member) on Aug 14, 2006 at 5:27 am

    thanks paul for the information.

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  • satrialover (Member) on Aug 14, 2006 at 5:28 am

    Did you see the baby intestine all out. This is one of the worst photo accident photos I seen. Worst than that kancil accident that is shown here on this blog.

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  • jtshin (Member) on Aug 14, 2006 at 6:37 am

    Its a 1.5L engine car. the actual cc is 1498cc which states on the road tax. Probably a Toyota… (my family car is 1498cc also.. its a corolla with 5A-GE engine) or any imported cars… as identified from the bumpers that left there… just dunno the actual model… sad tragedy…

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  • satrialover (Member) on Aug 14, 2006 at 6:51 am

    so the lesson learnt here is drive carefully, it's not worth to risk your life for the possible minutes or perhaps an hour or two saved if it's a long distance drive. Not worth it at all.

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  • Joe Ooi (Member) on Aug 14, 2006 at 7:14 am

    Of course drive carefully will reduce the probability of accidents – but unsafe car make it highly vulnerable to higher level of injury or lead to unnecessary death. Perhap with ABS, high rating for NCAP or airbag, it will safe life!

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  • mits27 (Member) on Aug 14, 2006 at 9:00 am

    Car's safety feature is like buying insurance, we can drive safely, but sometimes due to factor like bad road condition, weather condition, or maybe the other driver fault, we need to have some air bag and ABS to avoid the death of life. Cannot denied drive safe, driving attitude, follow the traffic rule also very important for saving life.

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  • jzkzlz (Member) on Aug 14, 2006 at 9:18 am

    Car Safety features surely play important roles for our driving safety.

    But the main concern is the driver's attitute.

    For example, many of the car driver don't like to put on their seatbelt when driving. this is the very very basic & common safety feature in our car…!!

    Even the most advance safety features equipted in the car will also kill if we not drive carefully..

    This remind me of Princess Diana…killed in the Mercedes..

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  • satrialover (Member) on Aug 14, 2006 at 8:11 pm

    One of the car manufacturer, Mecedes said in it's safety campaign, a car manufacturer can make the car as safe as possible, but if the driver drives recklessly accidents can happen. Something like that.

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  • satrialover (Member) on Aug 14, 2006 at 8:12 pm

    Unfortunate proton cars are just junk and are dangerous cars.

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  • indothai (Member) on Aug 14, 2006 at 10:49 pm

    Safety greatly depends on how a person drives a car. A wreakless person in any car will pose a great danger to everyone on the road.

    How to reduce national traffic accidents by 80%:

    1) Drive carefully/sensibly.

    2) Obey traffic laws.

    3) Proper vehicle maintenance.

    4) Don't drink and drive.

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  • satrialover (Member) on Aug 14, 2006 at 11:18 pm

    http://www.panducermat.org.my/mly/berita_terkini1…

    Even a volvo car, people can die.

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  • satrialover (Member) on Aug 14, 2006 at 11:21 pm

    but of course that volvo has no side airbag and front airbag as it is a old volvo model. Looks like a 240 or 740 model.

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  • cutelittlekelisa (Member) on Aug 16, 2006 at 12:28 am

    %accident:

    good driver + good car = A (caused by other driver)

    good driver + bad car = B

    bad driver + bad car = C

    A

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  • cutelittlekelisa (Member) on Aug 16, 2006 at 12:29 am

    %accident:

    good driver + good car = A (caused by other driver)

    good driver + bad car = B

    bad driver + bad car = C

    C more than B, B more than C

    in malaysia… we have lots of bad driver and ahem ahem car…. wat u guys think

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