Why are passengers more prone to injuries and death than the driver in a motor vehicle accident?

Jen

First I would like to address the following:

They are not according to the latest figures from the (NHTSA) which shows that in 2007 there were 21,647 drivers that died in car accidents and only 8,657 passengers that died in car accidents......

Facts and figures are great but can be misleading. Above is an example and the reasoning is simple. Passengers, I am sure, do not drive and ride at the same time, hense the name, passenger.
The figures listed might, and probably are, misleading becuase a passenger can not(I am pretty sure) be in a vehicle with out a driver(unless he or she was thrown out). Therefore, any figures that just include drivers and passengers statistics would be unfair because maybe there were more solo drivers in accidents than drivers with passengers. The statictics would have to break down drivers with passengers and drivers without. I did not see that. I also did not see statistics on front or rear seat passengers.

My answer: There are several reasons why passengers might be more at risk.
1)-State laws, for adults, in many states do not require rear seat restraints.
2)- A driver has more protection. The steering wheel, steering column, and steering gear box, provide extra strength. The steering wheel gives a driver something to hold onto and an air bag that is closer.
3)- Newer vehicles are designed for damage to spread and to absorb and bend to reduce cab damage. This, by itself, may give a driver an advantage in an accident.
The drivers side of a vehicle, being stronger, will withstand more damage, and as a result, any metal being displaced will go where? Towards the passenger side.
This is knowlege in absence of statistics. Statistics would need to be viewed as to accidents involving head on, left side, and right side collisions. Drivers alone, and drivers with passengers. Passengers in the front seat and passengers in th rear seat.
Another varible would be the types of vehicles involved in the same accidents. I am sure there are statistics on these things if someone(maybe the auther of the post) would care to search.

UCANTCME

They are not according to the latest figures from the (NHTSA) which shows that in 2007 there were 21,647 drivers that died in car accidents and only 8,657 passengers that died in car accidents......

coLouRb3rryy

Because when a driver is about to crash their human instinct is to save themselves. So say they were about to have a head on collision, their human instinct would kick in and they would swerve the car to the passenger side of the road, and maybe hit a tree a pole or something else.

jaypauldini

because unfortunatley most of them are too dim to wear a seatbelt.

Bummer again

the driver had the steering which they can use to hold themselves from being thrown outwards and airbag to reduce the head injuries. passengers might not buckle up behind and they could be thrown outward very easily..

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