Beginning September 1, 1993, all light trucks (pickup trucks, vans, and sport utility vehicles) were required to meet a crush resistance standard for side doors. Data from calendar years 1989 through 2001 of the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) were used to determine the effectiveness of changes made by vehicle manufacturers to meet this standard. Effectiveness was determined by comparing changes in the number of fatalities in side impacts relative to those in frontal impacts.