Reductions in Crash Injury and Fatalities Due to Vehicle Stability Control Technology

Crash avoidance technologies, like Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), reduce the frequency that certain types of loss-of-control events occur. Previous studies have shown a 52.6% (95% CI: 46.2%, 58.3%) reduction in single vehicle crash occurrences and an 11.2% (95% CI: 5.3%, 18.0%) reduction in multi-vehicle front-to-front crashes for a sample population. This paper documents injury and fatality reductions due to the fact that these crash events are avoided or because the severity of a crash is reduced due to the presence of Vehicle Stability Control technology.

During this study, a 34% (95% CI: 26%, 40%) reduction in fatal crash involvement was calculated for a subset of vehicles registered in the US. This corresponds to a 54% (95% CI: 46%, 61%) reduction in fatalities of study vehicle occupants. Within the state data census of police reported crashes from 9 states, a 53% (95% CI: 18%, 73%) reduction in incapacitating and fatal (K+A) injuries in study vehicles and a 31% (95% CI: 15%, 43%) reduction in non-incapacitating and possible (B+C) injuries in study vehicles was observed. Overall, this study identifies significant casualty reductions due to VSC technology and highlights potential benefits for injury and fatality reduction as these systems continue to emerge in the vehicle fleet.