Citation

Case HW, Burg A, Baird JD. J. Saf. Res. 1973; 5(1): 26-35.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1973, U.S. National Safety Council, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A pilot study ofthe relationship between vehicle size and accident involvement was conducted, using a sample of nearly 9,000 registered owners of selected subcompact, compact, and full size cars in California. This sample was obtained through responses to a mailed questionnaire, and the information collected included personal data, vehicle usage data, and accident experience of the vehicles being surveyed. Study results suggest that there is no systematic relationship between vehicle size and frequency of accident involvement, when the known effects of age and quantitative exposure to risk are controlled for. Marked differences in response rate among owners of the different vehicle makes suggest that the results must be regarded as tentative pending detailed comparison of the respondent sample with the nonrespondents for each make. An outline is proposed for a full-scale study to provide definitive information in this area.