3.5 CRASH CLASSIFICATION BY DAMAGE SEVERITY

3.5 Crash Classification by Damage Severity

3.5.1 introduction: The purpose of this classification is to describe the severity of a road vehicle traffic crash in terms of damage to property.

3.5.2 categories: There are five categories of damage severity for classification of motor vehicle traffic crashes (See 2.3.7-2.3.12; 3.5.2.1) or other-road-vehicle crashes (See 3.5.2.2).

3.5.2.1 motor vehicle crashes: Motor vehicle crash categories, in order of precedence, are:

• Disabling damage crash

• Functional damage crash

• Other motor vehicle damage crash

• Other property damage crash

• No damage crash

3.5.2.2 other-road-vehicle crashes: Other-road-vehicle crash categories, in order of precedence, are:

• Disabling damage crash

• Functional damage crash

• Other other-road-vehicle damage crash

• Other property damage crash

• No damage crash

3.5.3 interpretation: This classification does not actually describe or measure the severity of the whole road vehicle crash, but only the most serious damage to one road vehicle. A motor vehicle crash in which one motorcycle was disabled would have the same “damage severity” as one in which four trucks with trailers were demolished.

3.5.4 general: The “no damage” classification applies only when there is injury (See 2.3.1) but no damage in a road vehicle crash; if there were neither damage nor injury there would be no crash (See 2.4.6).