THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE INCOMPLETENESS OF OFFICIAL TRAFFIC ACCIDENT STATISTICS

DEN OFFICIELLA TRAFIKOLYCKSSTATISTIKENS OFULLSTAENDIGHET HUR DEN UPPFATTAS OCH DESS BETYDELSE

This report illustrates the significance of traffic accident statistics in urban planning, and the way in which shortcomings in these are dealt with at different levels. It is found that great importance is attached to these data, but the significance of the incompleteness of the material is not sufficiently recognized. Conclusions are drawn from accidents reported to the police without consideration of the size of this sample. Public discussion is conducted in relation to accidents reported to police, as though these included all accidents. The resulting impression in the mind of the public is that traffic accidents are much fewer, and much less serious, than is the case. Decisions in road planning, road safety, hospital planning etc do not pay enough attention to the distortion caused by incompleteness of the data. /TRRL/

• Corporate Authors:

  Stockholm University, Sweden

  P.O. Box 6701
  S-11385 Stockholm,   Sweden 
• Authors:
  • Elofsson, S
• Publication Date: 1976

Language

• Swedish

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Serial:
  • Issue Number: 1976

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: City planning; Crash severity; Crashes; Errors; Significance (Statistics); Statistics; Traffic crashes
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I81: Accident Statistics;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00142174
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Swedish National Road and Traffic Research Institute
• Report/Paper Numbers: Monograph
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 4 1977 12:00AM