AIRPORT POLICE CRUISER-AUTOMOBILE COLLISION ON DULLES AIRPORT ACCESS ROAD, EXIT NO. 1, NEAR CHANTILLY, VIRGINIA, APRIL 22, 1971

AN EASTBOUND DULLES AIRPORT POLICE CRUISER STOPPED ON THE EXIT RAMP IN RESPONSE TO A SIGNAL FROM THE DRIVER OF A TRUCK. AN EASTBOUND PASSENGER AUTOMOBILE WAS APPROACHING THE EXIT RAMP. THE DRIVER, DISTRACTED BY THE ACTIVITIES OF THE TRUCK, OBSERVED THE POLICE CRUISER, APPLIED THE BRAKES, AND STRUCK IT IN THE REAR. UPON IMPACT, THE FUEL TANK OF THE POLICE CAR DEVELOPED A LEAK RESULTING IN A FIRE. ALSO, AS A RESULT OF THE IMPACT, THE TWO POLICE OFFICERS WERE THROWN BACK AGAINST THE FRONT SEAT CAUSING THE ANCHORAGE SYSTEM TO FAIL AND SEAT BACK TO BEND REARWARD. THE POLICE CRUISER WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED BY THE FIRE. THE OCCUPANTS OF BOTH VEHICLES RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD DETERMINES THAT THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THIS COLLISION WAS THE COMBINATION OF THE UNNECESSARY STOPPING OF THE POLICE CRUISER ON THE TRAVELLED LANE OF THE EXIT RAMP AND THE DISTRACTION OF THE ATTENTION OF THE DRIVER OF THE AUTOMOBILE TO HER PRIMARY DRIVING TASK. /AUTHOR/

• Corporate Authors:

  National Transportation Safety Board

  490 L'Enfant Plaza, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20594
• Publication Date: 1972-3-15

Media Info

• Pagination: 30 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash injury research; Crash investigation; Crashes; Research; Traffic crashes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Motor vehicle accidents
• Subject Areas: Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00221951
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 20 1973 12:00AM