Tag Archives: FARS

FARS Coding of a Sample of Rear Underride Crashes

Safety Advocacy, Truck Safety, , ,

In August 2022, we submitted a petition to the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) requesting that they investigate the potential safety defect of tractor trailers which do not have Rear Impact Guards (RIG) with the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety’s TOUGHGuard level of underride protection. In response, on January 20, 2023, we received a “Defect Petition Acknowledgement Letter” and Opening Resume related to investigation DP22-004.

The Opening Resume includes a chart indicating that the ODI had received zero Safety Complaints related to Rear Impact Guards. More specifically, they listed zero for the following categories:

  • Complaints
  • Crashes/Fires
  • Injury Incidents
  • Number of Injuries
  • Fatality Incidents
  • Number of Fatalities.

Having lost two daughters due to a rear underride crash on May 4, 2013, I knew that this was most certainly not an accurate representation of the extent of preventable rear underride tragedies, but rather the failure of the process to identify an unreasonable safety risk without the submission of formal complaints. I took it upon myself to immediately rectify that unfortunate situation.

Based on a daily Google Alert email notification of truck crashes, memorial website posts on annaleahmary.com record crashes which appear to involve underride. Those memorial posts include not only rear underride crashes but side underride and front override, as well. So I made a list of all the posts which appeared to involve underride crashes and deaths at the rear of large trucks.

Then I made a pdf of each memorial post, as well as a pdf of a related media article, which either contained a photo or narrative indicating that it was quite probably a rear underride. I numbered each of the crashes and ended up with 176 which appeared to me to be rear underride crashes. I recently discovered that one of those was a side underride, so I have taken that one out of the set.

I proceeded to print each of the memorial posts and media articles — adding, when I could, obituaries and photos of the underride victim. I put these documents in a binder and mailed it to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation at the Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C. Additionally, upon their request, I provided the ODI with digital copies of each document.

My next step was to begin a search for these crashes in the NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data query tool. The FARS data comes from fatal crash reports written by investigating officers and submitted to State FARS Analysts. We have learned that FARS Analysts are trained to strictly adhere to what they see in the crash report. If the investigating officer marks an underride field checkbox or indicates in the report narrative that underride occurred, then the FARS Analyst can code the crash as Underride.

Unfortunately, at present, only 17 states have an Underride Field on their state crash report forms. In addition, it appears that there is not adequate training for the investigating officers to know how to properly report an underride crash. The result is that these preventable deaths are vastly undercounted. Consequently, underride regulatory analysis by NHTSA, the federal highway safety agency, determines that effective underride regulations are “not cost effective” and available underride protective devices gather dust on the shelf.

The majority of the 175 rear underride memorial posts were for crashes which occurred in 2021 and 2022 and had, therefore, not yet been recorded in FARS. Thus, I was left with 38 crashes which could be searched for with the NHTSA FARS data query tool by a team of families of underride victims. The following table summarizes the results of that search.

mwk 4/1/2023

Clearly, underride is vastly underreported, as has been previously documented in many reports and studies (Braver, et al, 1997, 1998; Brumbelow; GAO Truck Underride Report; Karth). However, it is not enough to lament about the lack of accurate data. What should we do? For starters. . .

  • Improve training of law enforcement on investigating and reporting underride crashes.
  • Improve training of FARS Analysts on reporting underride crashes.
  • Require states to include an Underride Field on their state (and local) crash report forms.
  • Reassess and amend the Rear Impact Guard Rule, published on July 15, 2022, which falls far short in its protection of vulnerable motorists and other road users with proven and available technology.

In Memory of Precious Ones Gone Too Soon

Back of the Envelope Math: How many side underride deaths since March 19, 1969?

Truck Safety, , , ,

If you had to guess how many people have died from truck underride, or more specifically from side underride, since DOT talked about side guards on March 19, 1969, what would you say? Well, nobody can say for sure, but I did some Back of the Envelope Math today — using the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) undercounted underride death data.

Here’s what I came up with: Back of the Envelope Math — Estimated Underride Deaths 3/19/69 – 3/19/22

Why would we equip some trucks to prevent rear underride but not side or front? And why not equip ALL large trucks with available underride prevention technology?

It might not be exact, but it certainly is revealing.

Joshua Brown/Tesla Side Underride Crash Coded as “No Underride” in FARS Data

Safety Advocacy, Truck Safety, , , , , ,

Tell me again why we are letting the flawed data on underride deaths determine the Cost Benefit Analysis — and thus the decision on underride regulations. We already knew the FARS data was underreported; we just discovered additional disturbing evidence of that fact.

At the end of August, I obtained the FARS field dump data for the Joshua Brown Tesla deadly crash in Florida when his car went completely under the side of a tractor trailer and out the other side on May 7, 2016. In the field which has to be filled out related to underride, it is listed as “No Underride or Override Noted.”

What?! Imagine that! A clear-cut, well-known side underride crash — investigated by the NTSB — and NHTSA got it wrong. In 2016.

You can see it for yourself in this pdf, p. 10:

FLORIDA_2016_FARS_CASE_120918 (1)

And that’s not the only one I received. I also requested the FARS data on Roya Sadigh’s crash (daughter of Lois Durso) on November 24, 2004 — one that we know is a side underride with clear evidence of Passenger Compartment Intrusion (PCI). Again, “No Underride/Override.” See p.3:

INDIANA_2004_FARS_CASE_180748 (1)

We had already received FARS data on our own crash on May 4, 2013. It says “Passenger Compartment Intrusion Unknown.” And the Georgia FARS report for 2013 at the Rear of trailers lists one underride — despite two daughters having died under the truck.

In response to a request for explanation of a recent withdrawal of the underride rulemaking for Single Unit Trucks, Senator Gillibrand received a letter from NHTSA in August explaining that they had used TIFA (trucks in fatal accidents) data rather than FARS data. However, upon closer examination one will discover that the TIFA data is based upon the FARS data. How reliable is that?

Scene of crash testing of Aaron Kiefer’s SafetySkirt. How silly is it to ignore solutions to prevent side underride tragedies?!

UPDATE, February 11, 2023: The Joshua Brown crash has been updated in the FARS data to indicate that it was an Underride with Passenger Compartment Intrusion.

Every day we delay, more people will die from truck underride. STOP Underrides!

Truck Safety, , , , ,

Progress is being made on the prevention of truck underride tragedies. But we have a long way to go before comprehensive underride protection is on every truck on the road. That is why we are working hard on every front to raise awareness of the century-old underride problem — along with proven and promising solutions.

But not everyone seems to get the sense of urgency which drives us to insistently call for resolution of this issue via the STOP Underrides! Bill posthaste. That’s why I decided to create this simple graphic to drive home the point that the price we pay, as a result of our delay in taking meaningful action, is too costly to accept any further meaningless excuses:

Based on analysis by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety of NHTSA’s truck crash fatality statistics (FARS), this graphic reflects the 600 truck/car collisions which annually occur, on average, at the sides and rear of large trucks  — leaving out front collisions: potential underride tragedies which we want to prevent with the STOP Underrides! Bill.

Some years ago, I noticed the way that the prophet Daniel, in Daniel 9, got on his knees and repented on behalf of his people. . . God’s people, for wrongdoing that he was not directly responsible for — appealing to God to act mercifully.

This week, I thought of that again and determined to stand in the stead of all those who have turned their backs to the underride problem — unknowingly or not. Perhaps we all play some part in not getting to the bottom of those terrible tragedies.

In any case, on behalf of all those who have not been held accountable, I repent of our country’s indifference to this preventable highway carnage. I ask the Lord to forgive our callous attitude, misplaced priorities, and neglect. May He stir up a sense of urgency that we might all take appropriate action and work together more creatively and effectively.

What are we waiting for?! Let’s get on with it! We’ve got people counting on us — whether they know it or not.

 

Just in: Truck Underride Statistics by State From NHTSA & IIHS

Truck Safety, , ,

Yesterday I contacted NHTSA and IIHS and asked them if they would be able to look at their data on underride deaths and break them out by State. They both graciously made it a priority and created some new charts, graphs, and a map.

The pdf from NHTSA has data taken from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), by which NHTSA collects information on fatal crashes from each state. This extensive chart covers the time period of 1994 to 2015, showing underride deaths when the initial collision was at the front, side, and rear of trailers — first for the country, followed by a similar format for each state. Numbers are shown one year at a time and then totaled:

Passenger Vehicle Underride Fatalities by State, 1994-2015, by NHTSA

Please remember that it is well-known that underride deaths are under-counted in these charts. In fact, Lois Durso and I both have found that our daughters deaths are not accurately reported in these charts.

We also received a graph of underride deaths by State for 2015 from Matt Brumbelow at the IIHS. Specifically, these are “2015 Passenger vehicle occupant fatalities in 2-vehicle crashes with tractor-trailers.”

Matt asked me to explain further, “that 2015 is still the latest year of data that NHTSA has released.  Also, that while not all these crashes will have involved underride, our estimates based on other studies is that underride occurs in 80-90% of tractor-trailer rear and side crashes with serious/fatal injuries.”

PV Fatalities in Truck Crashes 2015 per IIHS

U.S. Map PV Fatalities Truck Crashes in 2015 per IIHS

I hope that these visual and informative tools will aid us, as a nation, in addressing this tragic but preventable public health problem.

Truck Underride Deaths (by type) from DOT Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 1994-2014

Safety Advocacy, Truck Safety, , ,

I asked DOT for a breakdown of truck underride deaths by type: front, side, and rear. I just received that chart today.

Truck Underride Deaths by TYPE 1994-2014

From 1994 to 2014, this is the breakdown of Deaths by Underride:

Collision at Front of the Truck: 625

Collision at Side of the Truck: 1534

Collision at Rear of the Truck: 1715

Collision Site Unknown: 132

Total Underride Deaths Reported: 4,006

Of course, we need to remember that these figures do not include all underride deaths as it is well-known that they are commonly under-reported.

So why are trucks sold without side guards? (Why on earth would this be an optional feature?!) And why does NHTSA not mandate side guards?

Sign our petition to NHTSA to initiate rulemaking on side guards: Mandate Side Guards On Large Trucks To End Deadly Side Underride Crashes

Save Lives

Posts on Side Underride

From 1994-2014, 5,081 truck underride deaths (on average, 4/week) recorded by NHTSA.

Safety Advocacy, Truck Safety, , , ,
April 19, 2016

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

 

Marianne Karth asked NHTSA for information on Truck Underride Deaths.

 

NHTSA provided a revealing and disturbing set of data.

 

For twenty years about 4 people every average week an American motorist died of their injuries according to NHTSA’s FARS data.  From 1994-2014 the total amounting to 5,081 deaths were recorded by NHTSA.  See attached.

 

Year after tragic year the number has remained almost constant at more than 200 deaths each year.
 

See https://annaleahmary.com/2016/04/truck-underride-fatalities-chart-from-the-fars-1994-2014/

Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) have access to such data, so why don’t we see more stories?  See DOT and NHTSA databases available at IRE at
http://ire.org/nicar/database-library/

 

Let’s get the media focusing on our clear and present dangers here at home in the U.S.A. today.

 

Let’s get the media to produce change for the better with news we can use.

 

Lou
Responsibility