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Vehicle corrosion costs the public billions of dollars each year. The severity of vehicle corrosion is strongly affected by the amount of salt to which the vehicles are exposed. The main sources of the salt causing vehicle corrosion are the atmosphere and road salting. Some geographical areas experience minimal corrosion problems, but in other areas the corrosion problems are more severe. Knowledge of the severity of corrosion in a given geographical area is important when decisions are made about corrosion prevention and when corrosion related recalls/modifications are initiated. The object of this paper is to review the existing literature on corrosiveness in various geographical areas and propose a rational corrosion severity map.

An estimate of the rate of attrition of passenger cars, needed to establish the service life expectancy of passenger cars, is of major interest whenever long range production plans are made, marketing strategies are developed, the total needs of vehicles on the roads are estimated, etc. Estimation of vehicle attrition is very complex, however, due to the lack of accurate data and the interaction of the parameters affecting attrition. In 1980 and 1985, similar studies of attrition [1,2] utilized vehicle registration data available as of July, 1979 and as of July, 1984. The object of this paper is to update the results of these papers, using the 1991 July registration data, available in May 1992. Within the scope of this paper the attrition rates of various passenger cars are compared and the effect of geographical location on the attrition rates and the change in attrition rates during the past twenty years are discussed.

An August 4, 1994 news release of the U.S. Department of Transportation [Ref. 1] states that “The National Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has determined that there is a positive relationship between scores it provides to consumers in its new car and light truck crash tests and the fatality risk in real-world crashes. ‘Consumers can use this crash test information in their purchase decisions. We are pleased that our latest analysis verifies that the information continues to provide a valid indication of the crash protection that various makes and models provide,’ said NHTSA Acting Administrator Christopher Hart.” These assertions are said to be based on an NHTSA technical report [Ref.2]. In this referenced report, however, it is stated that the “results do not guarantee that an individual make-model with low NCAP (New Car Assessment Program; the crash test) scores will necessarily have lower fatality risk than other make-models with higher NCAP scores”.

Speed is only one of several factors affecting the occurrence of accidents. For example, much of the German Autobahn does not have a speed limit, yet the traffic fatality rate is lower than the fatality rate for US Interstate Highways. The object of this paper was to review relevant accident data in order to establish a relationship between speed limits and accident rates, so as to facilitate a rational approach towards the setting of speed limits for the U.S. Interstate Highways. Our results indicate that the main parameters effecting traffic accidents are: (a) Road design, (b) Driver alcohol consumption, (c) Seat belt usage. Speed limits were found to have minimal effect on the traffic accidents. The evidence also indicates that separate speed limits for day-time and night-time as well as for dry road and wet road would enhance safety much more significantly than the enforcement of speed limits that are set too low.

There have been numerous publications on the frequency and severity of traffic accidents as effected by age. This is a recent review of the current findings. While very old drivers have increased accident rates, the impact of their accident rate on the society is small, because they drive very short distances and thus the total number of accidents in which they are involved is low. To improve the traffic accident situation the main effort has to aim the young drivers. Due to their alcohol consumption prior to driving, their reluctance to wear seat belts and the high mileage they drive, they are one of the main causes of the high accident rates. Driver education programs aimed to improve driving skill have minimal effect on accident rates. However, driver education and law enforcement programs aimed at reducing the consumption of alcohol prior to driving and encourage the usage of seat belts could contribute to a decrease in accident rates.

The approximate population of passenger cars in service and the rate of attrition of that population must be known when long range production plans are made, marketing strategies are developed, the total fuel need of the vehicles on U.S. roads is estimated, etc. Estimation of population is complex due to the lack of accurate data and the interactions between the parameters affecting attrition. Various methods are available to estimate the present and future population levels of passenger cars in service. Within the scope of this paper the projected populations of various passenger cars are compared and various attrition projection methods are discussed.

The Uniform Product Liability Act attempts to present one unified cause of action for injuries to persons and damage to property caused by products. While no state has adopted the complete text of the Act, it is indicative as a way of thinking and possible future trends. It is a valuable reading for the practicing engineers. Within the scope of this paper the summary of the Act is given.