Side-Impact Collisions involving Passenger Vehicles in Real-World Crashes

In Malaysia, 6,570 fatalities were recorded as a result of road deaths in 2016. From that figure, 1,197 or 18.2% were involved in side- impact collisions. An in-depth crash investigation study was conducted by utilizing data from the MIROS crash investigation database (MICARS) to better understand the mechanism and characteristics of the crash and to correlate the impact and damages profile with the injury outcome of the involved occupants related to the side-impact crash. The data obtained from MICARS for this study was selected from 2007 until 2016, during which MIROS had investigated 794 for both East and West Malaysia. Out of that number, 41 cases involving passenger vehicles were selected for analysis purposes. The results found that the risk of serious or fatal injury to nearside occupants was eight times higher compared to the far-side occupants. Besides that, the use of the restraint system does not show a significant association with the occupants' fatality. In a conclusion, car manufacturers should equip all new passenger vehicle models with passive safety features such as side and curtain airbags and should also increase the rigidity of the side structure of the said vehicles to reduce the injury severity level of the occupants. Furthermore, the government needs to review all these issues together with the vehicle manufacturers to make it become a Malaysian Standard before mandating it for all passenger vehicles in Malaysia. Thus, continuous efforts and commitment by car manufacturers and the government are essential to produce safer cars with proper and adequate active and passive safety features.