The goal of this analysis is to estimate the fatality reduction in passenger cars that collide
with light trucks due to compatibility improvements in the LTVs that were apparently
implemented in the year of self-certification to the EVC. It is important to understand as clearly
as possible the changes that will occur as the LTV fleet is redesigned to meet the EVC
agreement. The first IIHS study had the same goal but was limited with their amount of data,
while the second study did not analytically isolate factors for the long-term decline in fatality
rates. The second study provided a broad general perspective of really how the driving
environment has changed from CY 2000-2001 to 2008-2009. The overall effect may be due to a
combination of compatibility improvements in the LTVs; crashworthiness improvements in the
cars; crash avoidance technologies; and changes in vehicle mix, vehicle use, or driving
patterns. Furthermore, the compatibility improvements in LTVs are not necessarily limited to
those involved in certifying to the voluntary standard, but could include any prior or subsequent
modifications.