ACCIDENTS AND THE HUMAN ELEMENT IN SKIDDING

ANALYSIS OF EXTENSIVE MOTOR VEHICLE TRAFFIC AND ACCIDENT RECORDS INDICATE THAT SKIDDING IS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN HIGHWAY ACCIDENTS. SKIDDING WAS REPORTED AS INVOLVED IN FOUR OUT OF TEN RURAL ACCIDENTS IN VIRGINIA IN 1957. RECORDS IN GREAT BRITAIN INDICATE THAT ONE OUT OF FOUR PERSONAL INJURY ACCIDENTS ON WET ROAD SURFACES INVOLVED SKIDDING -- WHILE ON ICY SURFACES THE PROPORTION WAS FOUR OUT OF FIVE. NEARLY ONE OUT OF FOUR ACCIDENTS ON THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE INVOLVES FAILURE OF THE DRIVER TO COPE WITH ROAD CONDITIONS, PARTICULARLY SKIDDING. THE WET SKID FACTOR BECOMES MORE SERIOUS AS SPEEDS INCREASE AND THE TRACTION COEFFICIENT DECREASES. DRIVER ACTIONS REMAIN A DOMINENT FACTOR IN SKIDDING, ALTHOUGH IMPROVEMENTS AFFECTING SKIDDING ARE PRODUCED THROUGH PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN ROADS AND CONTROL DEVICES, TIRES, AND VEHICLES. RECOMMENDATIONS ARE MADE FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FOLLOWING: (1) ACCIDENT REPORTS, (2) STUDIES ON STATUS OF SKID KNOWLEDGE, (3) SKID INSTRUCTION IN DRIVER EDUCATION COURSES, (4) TRAINING IN SENSING IMPENDING SKIDS, (5) TRAINING THROUGH INDUCED SKIDS, (6) DRIVER CLUES, (7) SKID ZONE PROGRAMS, AND (8) SKID RESISTANCE STANDARDS.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrbbulletin/219/219-002.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • No 219, pp 5 - 8 Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Publication Date: 1959

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Pagination: 4p
• Monograph Title: Skid prevention research, 1959
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Bulletin
  • Issue Number: 219
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Driver training; Drivers; Ice; Injuries; Moisture content; Pavements; Reaction time; Records management; Skid resistance; Skidding; Speed; Standards; Traction; Traffic crashes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driver reaction; Motor vehicle accidents; Records; Wet conditions
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; Pavements; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00222871
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Sep 16 1994 12:00AM