Data from the National Automotive Sampling System - Crashworthiness Data System (NASS CDS)1 were analyzed to determine the characteristics of multiple-frontal impact crashes with the objective of identifying opportunities for employing safety systems. Multiple impacts initiated by a frontal impact accounted for about 24% of the population of seriously injured (MAIS 3+) drivers in recent model passenger vehicles. Multiple frontal impacts alone accounted for 10% of the seriously injured driver population. Lane departure and roadway departure were the most frequent pre-crash events. The proportion of kinetic energy remaining after the first impact was identified as a possible predictor of the likelihood of multiple impacts.
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