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Vehicle Crashworthiness

Crashworthiness is the ability of the vehicle to prevent occupant injuries in the event of an accident. Crashworthiness involves the technical foundation of a vehicle. It is worth taking note that the cause of the accident is technically immaterial in crashworthiness cases even if the severity of the accident is a question.

Due to variables in data collection, testing, and human factors, consumer information on vehicle crashworthiness (the vehicle's ability to protect its occupants in a crash) is still in the development stage. Design issues such as size, weight, and integrity play a role in a vehicle's ability to protect crash-involved occupants from injury. Crash data displays which vehicle-related factors affect crashes and the types of crashes that cause the most deaths and injuries. Human factors such as age, belt use, and location within the vehicle also affect crash injury likelihood.

Crashworthiness is not the same as vehicle safety and the two topics must be differentiated. Vehicle crashworthiness depends on designed in features as well as equipment specifications which can be observed as design features. Vehicles either have these features or they don't regardless of its accident or even injury rates.

Crashworthiness features include air bags, seat belts, crumple zones, side impact protection, head rests and interior padding. These features may or may not be present in a particular vehicle and may or may not work even if present. All of these items have been available since the early 1970's, but many are still not found in vehicles produced in the 1990's. Crashworthiness features must be designed to curtail second collision (occupant into vehicle interior) forces and prevent ejection and reduce fire risk.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto accident and your vehicle failed in protecting you, please fill out the form at the right for a free case evaluation by a qualified attorney.