The Impact of Safety Standards and Policies on Optimal Automobile Design

Much of the recent decline in road traffic injuries and fatalities in developed nations is attributed to government regulations and institutional crash test ratings. While the regulations provide minimum performance or equipment requirements, crash tests provide a standardized method for crashworthiness comparisons between vehicles, and they do so using prescribed crash scenarios that aim to represent real-world crashes. Because the results of these tests influence consumer demand for vehicles, automakers commonly optimize vehicle designs to perform well in these specific crash scenarios. This study explores the impact of three particular specifications of the NHTSA NCAP frontal crash test on optimal automobile design, including the speed of impact, the injury severity measured, and the ratings system used to present the results. Optimal vehicle designs for the crash test are compared with those of alternative test scenarios, and the real-world impact of such designs is discussed. Findings show that scenarios representative of more frequently-occurring on-road circumstances appear to produce safer vehicles for their occupants, and a more precise ratings system is suggested.