CONDITIONS REQUIRED TO AVOID BEING KILLED IN CARS IN SIDE IMPACT

A study was made of the conditions in which occurred side impacts having led to death of 369 car occupants. This sample is representative of the population of fatal collisions having occurred on French roads, in 1980. 28% of killed were victims of collisions against another private car, 34% struck a fixed obstacle, 21% underwent a collision against a truck. The other types of collisions account for 17%. The performances to be reached in order to spare an important number of victims are of a high level. This is measured as a function of the distribution of impact violences and occupants' ages. The description given in this report of fatal side-impact collisions yields insight into the level of requirements that must be satisfied in order to protect a significant proportion of victims. It enables us to measure the challenge represented by protection against the risk of the occurrence of death in this kind of accident.