A side collision, also called a T-bone accident, is a vehicle crash where the side of one or more vehicles is impacted. These crashes typically occur at intersections, in parking lots, and when two vehicles pass on a multi-lane roadway.
Occurrences and effects A 2016 study found that, in the EU, side impact collisions were significantly less common than frontal impact collisions, at rates of 22-29% and 61-69% respectively. However, they tend to be much more dangerous. Another report commissioned by the EU in 2015 found that side impacts accounted for roughly 35-40% of passenger fatality and serious injury, as opposed to 55% attributed to head-on collisions.
A likely contributor to this fact is the amount of protection offered by the struck vehicle. Even when equipped with the safest cars on the road, these casualties occurred at much lower speeds than in head-on collisions, with passenger fatality and serious injury typically occurring at 50 km/h (~31 mph) in side impact collisions, as opposed to 70 km/h (~43 mph) for frontal impacts. Additionally, side impacts tend to affect more vulnerable areas of the body. While front and rear impacts typically produced the most serious injuries in the lower extremities (legs and feet), side impacts typically resulted in most serious injuries in the head and chest regions.
In 2008, a total of 5,265 (22%) out of 23,888 people were killed in vehicles which were struck in the side in the United States.
For European motorcyclists, side impact is the second most frequent location of impact.
For European cyclists, thorax injuries are associated with side-impact injuries in urban areas and/or at junctions.
In several European countries, such as the UK, Sweden, and France, around one quarter of traffic injuries are produced by side collisions, but accounted for 29 to 38% of injuries which were fatal.
In European vehicle side impact, 60% of casualties were "struck side", while 40% were "non struck side", in 2018.
Fatal casualties count as 50% and 67% in UK and in France, in 2010
Also, side collision are not well managed with child restraints which are not enough taking into account the movement of the child's head and prevent contact with the car's interior.
For light vans and minibuses in 2000 in UK and Germany, between 14% and 26% of accidents with passenger cars were side impacts.
In Shanghai, in China, 23% of the 1097 serious accidents occurred between June 2005 and March 2013 are side impact accidents, there the leading collision mode, according to the Shanghai United Road Traffic Safety Scientific Research Center (SHUFO) database. The head and neck are involved in around 64% of the casualties.
Testing Euro NCAP, IIHS and NHTSA test side impacts in different ways. , they all test vehicle-to-vehicle side impacts, where heavier vehicles have lower fatality rates than lighter vehicles.
NHTSA and Euro NCAP also test the more severe vehicle-into-pole side impacts, where smaller vehicles have the same fatality rate as larger vehicles.
Newer cars have improved safety in case of front crashes, but side impacts can also be deadly; about 9,700 people were killed in side impacts in the US in 2004.
Side airbags became mandatory in 2009 in the US, saving an estimated 1,000 lives per year.
Research indicates that the vehicle's underbody is the best place to reinforce structures to reduce intrusion by the pole. Billot et al. "Pole Impact Test: Study of the two current Candidates in Terms of Cost and Benefits for France" page 3-4. PSA Peugeot Citroën
General list of side impacts
These are lists of cars with notable aspects of side impact.
List of cars after 2011 The NHTSA results are evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration using Office of Crashworthiness Standards, New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) Side Impact Laboratory Test ProcedureSide Impact Laboratory Test Procedure, Moving Deformable Barrier NHTSA Office of Crashworthiness Standards, September 2012. 285 pages in 9MB and Side Impact Rigid Pole Laboratory Test ProcedureSide Impact Laboratory Test Procedure, Rigid Pole NHTSA Office of Crashworthiness Standards, September 2012. 224 pages in 8MB to display a simple star-rating. The "primary purpose of the NCAP side impact program is to provide comparative vehicle side protection information to assist consumers in making vehicle purchase decisions, thereby providing an incentive for vehicle manufacturers to design safer vehicles."
The IIHS results are evaluated by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety using their protocols.
This list shows the most notable of newer tested vehicles tested via NHTSA and IIHS. Some provide good protection, some less so, and some developed improved safety in response to a low result (Dodge Ram and Fiat 500). Some are common examples of their type.
Sorted roughly by rating, Head injury criterion (HIC) and Crush.
+ Side impact safety of newer cars (from 2011–present), by NHTSA and IIHS. Click <> to sort by parameter. Year Manufacturer Model Type Numberproduced Impactor (MDB)into Vehicle Vehicleinto pole Comment IIHSsiderating Euro NCAPsiderating MaximumCrush HIC Rating MaximumCrush HIC RLSA Rating 2014 Jeep Wrangler SUV 1 million mm "2016 Jeep Wrangler 2DR 4WD" NHTSA (click Side Crash) mm g Poor 2012 Chrysler 200"2014 Chrysler 200 4 DR FWD" NHTSA (click Side Crash) Mid 202 mm NCAP Moving Deformable Barrier Side Impact Test #7484 at 62 km/h (38 mph), 2012 Chrysler 200 LX Four Door Sedan Calspan, 17 November 2011. 279 pages in 50MB 392 mm 1987 51 gNCAP Side Impact Pole Test #7477 at 32 km/h (20 mph), 2012 Chrysler 200 LX Four Door Sedan Calspan, 17 November 2011. 158 pages in 20MB Head injury criterion above threshold. Good 2015 Toyota Hilux/Tacoma"2015 Toyota Tacoma PU/EC 4WD" NHTSA (click Side Crash) Truck 5+ million2010 Toyota Land Cruiser - Top Speed, Top Speed 305 mm 125+292NCAP Moving Deformable Barrier Side Impact Test #8992 at 62 km/h (38 mph), 2015 Toyota Tacoma PU-EC KARCO Engineering, 11 November 2014. 162 pages in 8MB 516 mm 451 57 gNCAP Side Impact Pole Test #8994 at 32 km/h (20 mph), 2015 Toyota Tacoma PU-EC KARCO Engineering, 12 November 2014. 106 pages in 6MB 2013 Fiat 500"2016 Fiat 500 3 HB FWD" NHTSA (click Side Crash) Supermini 1+ million 164 mm 166+382NCAP Moving Deformable Barrier Side Impact Test #8044 at 62 km/h (38 mph), 2013 Fiat 500 3-Door Hatchback Medical College of Wisconsin, 15 November 2012. 165 pages in 13MB 354 mm 224 54 gNCAP Side Impact Pole Test #7511 at 32 km/h (20 mph), 2012 Fiat 500 Pop 3-Dr Hatchback KARCO Engineering, 24 November 2011. 101 pages in 11MB MDB: Pelvic force and pax RLSA within threshold. Good 2012 Fiat 500"2012 Fiat 500 3 HB FWD Early Release" NHTSA (click Side Crash) Supermini 160 mm 127+410NCAP Moving Deformable Barrier Side Impact Test #7507 at 62 km/h (38 mph), 2012 FIAT 500 POP 3-DOOR HATCHBACK KARCO Engineering, 23 November 2011. 154 pages in 8MB 354 mm 224 54 g MDB: Pax pelvic force over threshold, and RLSA near. 2013 Dodge Ram 1500"2016 Ram 1500 Quad PU/EC 4WD" NHTSA (click Side Crash) Truck 365 mm 16+30NCAP Moving Deformable Barrier Side Impact Test #8074 at 62 km/h (38 mph), 2013 Ram 1500 4-Door Quad Cab Pickup Medical College of Wisconsin, 20 December 2012. 156 pages in 14MB 603 mm 483 48 g NCAP Side Impact Pole Test #8076 at 32 km/h (20 mph), 2013 Ram 1500 4-Door Quad Cab Pickup Medical College of Wisconsin, 26 December 2012. 106 pages in 8MB All parameters within limits. 2011 Dodge Ram 1500"2012 Ram 1500 Regular PU/RC 4WD" NHTSA (click Side Crash) Truck mm 462 mm 519 87 gNCAP Side Impact Pole Test #7065 at 32 km/h (20 mph), 2011 Ram 1500 ST Quad Cab 4X2 Transportation Research Center, Ohio, 20 September 2010. 118 pages in 11MB Pole Test: Pelvic force and RLSA over threshold. 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class"2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4 DR RWD" National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (click Side Crash) Sedan 129 mm 92+244NCAP Moving Deformable Barrier Side Impact Test #8445 at 62 km/h (38 mph), 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-350 4-Door Sedan Transportation Research Center, Ohio, 19 December 2013. 210 pages in 23MB 343 mm 492 53 gNCAP Side Impact Pole Test #8443 at 32 km/h (20 mph), 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-350 4-Door Sedan Transportation Research Center, Ohio, 19 December 2013. 121 pages in 17MB Pole Test: Pelvic force 4770 N of a threshold of 5525 N 2012 Chrysler Town & Country"2016 Chrysler Town And Country VAN FWD" National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (click Side Crash) Minivan 298 mm 51+135NCAP Moving Deformable Barrier Side Impact Test #7461 at 62 km/h (38 mph), 2012 Chrysler Town & Country Minivan MGA Research, 21 October 2011. 206 pages in 11MB 389 mm 294 47 gNCAP Side Impact Pole Test #7455 at 32 km/h (20 mph), 2012 Chrysler Town & Country Minivan MGA Research, 21 October 2011. 130 pages in 8MB Pole Test: Pelvic force 3503 N of a threshold of 5525 N Good 2014 Audi Q5"2016 Audi Q5 SUV AWD " NHTSA (click Side Crash) CUV 188 mm 59+166NCAP Moving Deformable Barrier Side Impact Test #8536 at 62 km/h (38 mph), 2014 Audi Q5 Hybrid Quattro 5DR MPV KARCO Engineering, 18 February 2014. 159 pages in 8MB 467 mm 253 54 gNCAP Side Impact Pole Test #8532 at 32 km/h (20 mph), 2014 Audi Q5 2.0T Quattro 5DR MPV KARCO Engineering, 17 February 2014. 104 pages in 6MB 2011 Volvo XC60"2016 Volvo XC60 SUV AWD" NHTSA (click Side Crash) CUV ½ million 170 mm 60+231NCAP Moving Deformable Barrier Side Impact Test #7118 at 62 km/h (38 mph), 2011 VOLVO XC60 KARCO Engineering, 20 October 2010. 134 pages in 8MB 462 mm 242 45 gNCAP Side Impact Pole Test #7114 at 32 km/h (20 mph), 2011 VOLVO XC60 KARCO Engineering, 18 October 2010. 87 pages in 5MB
Limits are: Moving Deformable Barrier (MDB): HIC max. 1000, Chest injury max. 44mm, abdominal injury max. 2500 Newton, pelvis injury max. 6000 N. There are additional limits for passenger similar to pole test. Rigid Pole: HIC max. 1000, Lower Spine acceleration max. 82g, Pelvis sum max. 5525 N
List of cars before 2011 Sorted roughly by rating.
+ Side impact safety of older cars (before 2011) by NHTSA, IIHS and Euro NCAP. Click <> to sort by parameter. Year Manufacturer Model Type Numberproduced NHTSArating IIHSsiderating Euro NCAPsiderating Comment 2003-2006 Ford Crown Victoria Full-size "2003 Ford Crown Victoria 4-DR" National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (click Side Crash) PoorLarge family car side crash test ratings IIHS, 18 June 2006 Structure rated "Poor" 2008-2015 Jeep Wrangler SUV 1 million Poor Structure rated "Acceptable" 2004 Mitsubishi Galant Sedan "2004 Mitsubishi Galant 4-DR" NHTSA (click Side Crash) Poor 2005 with airbag is Good at IIHS Year Manufacturer Model Type Produced Good Comment
See also Road collision types Side Impact Protection System (SIPS)
References
External links Side Impact Collision Images