Diagram with % of collisions

Jan06twinmom

New member
I remember seeing a diagram that showed the percentage of collisions that happened on each area of the car. I think it was used to talk about whether the driver's side or passenger's side is safer for a child to ride on - and I think it showed that the number of side impact collisions was pretty equal on either side.

Does anyone know where to find the diagram?

Or is there some other data that shows whether the driver's side or passenger's side is statistically safer?
 
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NannyMom

Well-known member
diagram with crash frequencies showing passenger and driver's side to be roughly equal.

although a recent study showed that the passenger side impacts are more often fatal. There's no explanation in the summary as to why, but my assumption is that it's due to left turning across oncoming traffic.

When I mentioned to my boss (an orthopedic surgeon) a comment made to me by a tech a few years ago (paramedic- he said driver's automatically defend their own side of the car), My boss said the passenger's side is the death side. :eek: However, she does have a child on the driver's side, and 1 on the passenger's side....so apparently it's not horrible enough to make her not use it.

I mentioned that to The Carseat Lady, and she said it's because of left turns.
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
I can't even begin to understand this 'the driver automatically protects their side of the car' argument people are always making. We have that kind of control over our own bodies when it comes to obstacles (well, some of us do, lol, sometimes I've been known to walk into walls... :rolleyes:), but it's just not possible to twist your 3000+ pounds of car out of the way of something in milliseconds :thumbsdown: (heck, people can't even follow the person in front of them through an intersection close enough to prevent traffic build up...we just don't have as much control over our cars as we think we do, or there'd be like, no crashes or traffic backups at all).
 

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Staff member
Nor can we control the behavior or reactions of other drivers to a crash or near crash situation. :eek:
 

crunchierthanthou

New member
However, she does have a child on the driver's side, and 1 on the passenger's side....so apparently it's not horrible enough to make her not use it.

well, no. it's not. I debated even posting that information for fear of causing worry. While the relative risk of right side impacts is higher, it's still rather low. In many cases it's just not practical or even possible to avoid having a child passenger side outboard.

Did you check out the numbers from that study report?

Near-seated children in the second-row have a 3.04% fatality risk for right-side (3 o'clock) impacts. This is nearly twice the 1.53% risk for near-side second-row children in left-side (9 o'clock) impacts.

Overall, right-side impacts have a 37% higher fatality risk than left-side impacts, irrespective of second-row seating position.

Overall, children seated behind the driver have an 8.1% lower fatality risk than those seated behind the right-front passenger, although the center second-row-seat has the lowest risk (0.27%).

Children in the second-row have a 65-71% lower fatality risk than the driver with the lowest relative risk in the center second-row-seat (0.29) and highest in the second-row right position (0.35).

The bolding and formatting are mine. That right side impacts are most dangerous regardless of position is quite an eye opener.

left side is 8% safer overall- which is minimal when we're talking less than 1%.

that the fatality risk for near side right is nearly double that of near side left doesn't add up with the overall difference being only 8%. so I take that that to mean the left side must be more dangerous in other types of crashes in order to come closer to balancing out. :shrug-shoulders:

Really, a lot more than crash statistics goes into deciding child placement. Are you doing school drop-off? Do you often park on the street and need to load from the curb? Where can you get the best install? How many children do you have? Is the toddler going to poke the baby's eyes if they're side by side?

We currently have ds ff on the driver's side. I know center is safest, but his seat blocked my view enough that we're all safer with him outboard. He was rf passenger side until 2 months ago because that was the only place his seat fit while still leaving dh enough room to drive and we'll have another child rf in that position by the end of the year. I'm not worried about that because I know I'm doing everything else I can to keep us all safe.

What is more important than position is whether you are choosing a seat that fits your child and your vehicle and that you are using it correctly. Choose the safest vehicle you can afford and keep it properly maintained. lastly, don't drive stupid- hang up, be alert and if that study is any indication, exercise extreme caution when turning left. ;)
 

NannyMom

Well-known member
Sorry, maybe I shouldn't have posted that. I don't fear putting children passenger side.

My boss is "safety mom" being as she's seen many accidents (not neccisarily crashes) being a orthopedic surgeon (and her DH neurosurgeon). Even though she is the one that told me Passenger's side is the death side, she is not worried enough to not put her children there (she has a mini van and only 2 children, both outboard in the second row).
 

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