13.2 Crash Severity
Crash severity: refers to the level of seriousness or extent of harm caused by a traffic collision or accident. It is often measured based on the most severe injury sustained by a person involved in the crash.
Severity levels-Highway Safety Manual
- F (Fatal crash): a police-reported crash involving a motor vehicle in transport on a trafficway in which at least one person dies within 30 days of the crash.
- I (Injury crash): a police-reported crash that involves a motor vehicle in transport on a trafficway in which no one died but at least one person was reported to have: (i) an incapacitating injury; (ii) a visible but not incapacitating injury; (iii) a possible, not visible injury; or (iv) an injury of unknown severity.
- PDO (Property damage only): a police- reported crash involving a motor vehicle in transport on a trafficway in which no one involved in the crash suffered any injuries.
- Other severity levels-KABCO
- K: Killed (fatal)
- A: Disabling injury (serious)
- B: Evident injury (moderate)
- C: Possible injury (minor)
- O: No evident injury (none)
- Statistics
2020 national crash statistics
Figure 13.1: 2020 national crash statistics
Figure 13.2: 2020 national crash rates statistics
Crash trend, by severity, 1975-2020
Figure 13.3: Crash trend, by severity, 1975-2020
Source: https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813375