Safety implications of extending some Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to light trucks and vans

The primary objective of this research was to evaluate the implications of extending specific Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS) to light trucks and vans (LTVs). This was accomplished through the examination of the potential safety-related benefits of these standards comparing the injury frequencies and severities of the light trucks and vans and the passenger cars (PCs). The standards considered, which currently apply to passenger cars but not to LTVs, are the head restraint (CMVSS 202), side door strength (CMVSS 214), and roof crush strength (CMVSS 216) standards. The comparison was effected by means of logit models developed from multidimensional tables with injury frequency and severity as dependent variables. There are indications that installing head restraints in light trucks and vans could reduce or prevent minor neck injuries and that modest benefits could be achieved by extending the roof crush standard to the LTVs. It was also determined that the side door strength standard may not necessarily be as beneficial to LTVs in conditions in which the vehicle is struck on the side by another LTV. It is suggested that the general public be made aware of the differences in safety standards between LTVs and PCs.