Do drivers of small cars take less risk in everyday driving

Journal Article · Fri Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1985 · Risk Anal.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1539-6924.1985.tb00149.x· OSTI ID:7226408

Wasielewski, P; Evans, L

Previously reported observed data on risky everyday driving are brought together and reanalyzed in order to focus on the relation between risky driving and the size of the car being driven, as indicated by car mass. The measures of risky driving include separation between vehicles in heavy freeway traffic and speed on a two lane road. Observed seat belt use provides a third measure of driver risk. Confounding effects arising from the observed association between car mass and driver age are taken into account by segmenting the data into three driver age groups. Driver risk taking is found to increase with increasing car mass for each of these three aspects of everyday driving. The implications of these results with respect to driver fatality rates are discussed in terms of a simple model relating observed risky driving to the likelihood of involvement in a severe crash.

• Research Organization: General Motors Research Labs., Warren, MI
• OSTI ID: 7226408
• Journal Information: Risk Anal.; (United States), Vol. 5:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
AUTOMOBILES
FUEL ECONOMY
RISK ASSESSMENT
SIZE
ACCIDENTS
AGE GROUPS
DEATH
ENERGY CONSERVATION
HUMAN POPULATIONS
INJURIES
PROBABILISTIC ESTIMATION
ROADS
SURVIVAL CURVES
TRANSPORTATION SECTOR
VELOCITY
WEIGHT
POPULATIONS
VEHICLES
320203* - Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization- Transportation- Land & Roadway