THE USE OF ACCIDENT ANALYSIS IN IMPROVING VEHICLE DESIGN FOR SAFETY

THE AUTHOR DESCRIBES THE TECHNIQUE WHICH UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, LONDON IS USING TO INVESTIGATE ACCIDENTS. THIS IS A COMPROMISE BETWEEN STATISTICAL METHODS WHICH LOSE DETAIL AND IN-DEPTH INVESTIGATIONS WHICH DO NOT ALLOW GENERAL CONCLUSIONS. THE TECHNIQUE INVOLVES CLASSIFYING ACCIDENTS ACCORDING TO AREA (URBAN AND RURAL) AND TYPE (HEAD-ON, REAR- END, INTERSECTION, SIDE-SWIPE AND SINGLE-VEHICLE). EACH TYPE ( EXCEPT THE LAST) GIVING TWO IMPACTS. CLASSIFICATION IS ALSO CARRIED OUT ACCORDING TO SEVERITY OF INJURY (SLIGHT, SEVERE AND FATAL). THE REMAINDER OF THE PAPER ILLUSTRATES THE TECHNIQUE BY MEANS OF AN ANALYSIS OF A SAMPLE OF ACCIDENTS INVOLVING INJURY TO THE OCCUPANTS OF COMMERCIAL VEHICLES, WHICH WAS MADE WITH A VIEW TO FINDING WAYS OF PROVIDING BETTER PROTECTION TO THE OCCUPANTS. ACCIDENTS WERE DIVIDED INTO TYPE OF VEHICLE, ACCIDENT, IMPACT AND INJURY. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT SINCE ALMOST ALL INVOLVED ONLY A SINGLE VEHICLE OR IMPACTS WITH ANOTHER COMMERCIAL VEHICLE 2/3 BEING FRONTAL IMPACTS), IMPROVED CAB DESIGN TO GIVE BETTER PROTECTION TO THE OCCUPANTS FROM SUCH ACCIDENTS WOULD REDUCE THE FREQUENCY OF THESE INJURIES.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Presented at Road Accident Seminar, London, 21-23 June 1972.
• Corporate Authors:

  Planning and Transport Res and Computation Co, Ltd

  40 Grosvenor Gardens
  London SW1,   England 
• Authors:
  • Jones, I S
• Publication Date: 1972

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Analysis; Classification; Commercial vehicles; Crash injury research; Crash investigation; Crashes; Design; Fatalities; Frontal crashes; Impact studies; Injuries; Injury severity; Intersections; Rear end crashes; Rural areas; Side crashes; Single vehicle crashes; Statistical analysis; Trucks; Urban areas; Vehicle classification; Vehicle design; Vehicle occupants; Vehicle safety; Vehicles
• Uncontrolled Terms: Severity
• Old TRIS Terms: Vehicular safety
• ITRD Terms: 1643: Accident; 1057: Air transport network; 6471: Analysis (math); 8513: Classification; 9011: Design (overall design); 1640: Head on collision; 2163: Injury; 455: Junction; 1620: Rear end collision; 328: Rural area; 1623: Severity (accid, injury); 313: Urban area
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Design; Highways; Motor Carriers; Passenger Transportation; Research; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I81: Accident Statistics; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00081155
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Report/Paper Numbers: Conf Paper
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 8 1975 12:00AM