MULTI-DISCIPLINARY INVESTIGATIONS TO DETERMINE AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT CAUSATION: FINDINGS

ACCIDENTS ARE DEFINED AS THOSE DISRUPTIONS TO THE FUNCTION OF THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM WHICH RESULT IN BODILY INJURY, DEATH OR PROPERTY DAMAGE. DISRUPTIONS OCCUR WHEN ONE OR MORE OF THE SYSTEM COMPONENTS MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILS TO PERFORM AS DESIGNED OR INTENDED. DISRUPTIONS WHICH OCCUR IN AN "UNFORGIVING" ENVIRONMENT BECOME ACCIDENTS, THOSE WHICH OCCUR IN A "FORGIVING" ENVIRONMENT ARE INCONVENIENCES. THE SYSTEM CONSISTS OF FOUR COMPONENTS -DRIVER, VEHICLE, HIGHWAY (STATIC ENVIRONMENT), AND AMBIENCE (DYNAMIC ENVIRONMENT). THE DRIVER IS THE MOST IMPORTANT COMPONENT IN THE SYSTEM BECAUSE HE CAN UTILIZE HIS INTELLIGENCE IN MAKING A MULTITUDE OF DECISIONS DURING THE OPERATION OF EACH INDIVIDUAL VEHICLE OVER A HIGHWAY NETWORK UNDER A VARIETY OF AMBIENT CONDITIONS. DRIVER MALFUNCTIONS ARE CLASSIFIED AS FAILURES TO RECEIVE AVAILABLE INFORMATION, FAILURES TO COMPREHEND OR UNDERSTAND THE INFORMATION, FAILURES TO MAKE A PROPER DECISION (MAY BE EITHER AN ISOLATED DECISION FAILURE OR LONG-TERM DRIVER TECHNIQUE), AND FAILURES TO ACT UPON THE DECISION. ACCIDENTS ALWAYS OCCUR IN AN "UNFORGIVING ENVIRONMENT" CONTAINING SOME OBJECT WHICH GENERATES DAMAGE OR INJURY ONCE THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCY IS INITIATED. THE FORGIVINGNESS OF THE ENVIRONMENT IS A FUNCTION OF SUCH FACTORS AS TRAFFIC VOLUME, ROADSIDE FURNITURE, VEHICLE HANDLING QUALITIES, DRIVER SKILL (INCLUDING THAT OF OTHER DRIVERS), ETC. REDUCTION IN THE FREQUENCY OF ACCIDENTS OR IN THEIR SEVERITY MAY BE OBTAINED BY EITHER ELIMINATING THE CAUSES OF HIGHWAY SYSTEM FAILURES OR BY CONSTRUCTING A MORE "FORGIVING" ENVIRONMENT. /AUTHOR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Rept No Cal VJ-2224-V-4, 207 PP, TABS, PHOTS
• Corporate Authors:

  Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory, Incorporated

  4455 Genesee Street
  Buffalo, NY  United States  14221
• Authors:
  • THARP, K J
  • Calderwood, T G
  • Downing, J J
  • Fell, J C
  • GARRETT, J W
  • Mudrowsky, E F
• Publication Date: 1970-3

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash causes; Drivers; Driving; Environment; Highways
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driving conditions
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00221276
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Highway Safety Research Institute
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 16 1971 12:00AM