Research highlights ▶ High collision speed and low use of protective clothing lead to higher injuries severity. ▶ Severe head injuries show a specific profile of head contact location more on windscreen area of cars. ▶ Accident causes: types of VRU have specific human failures. ▶ Causes of accidents can be attributed to different categories by ACASS. ▶ Different human accident causes are related to more or less severe injuries.
Abstract Within a study of accident data from GIDAS (German In-Depth Accident Study), vulnerable road users are investigated regarding injury risk in traffic accidents. GIDAS is the largest in-depth accident study in Germany. Due to a well-defined sampling plan, representativeness with respect to the federal statistics is also guaranteed. A hierarchical system ACASS (Accident Causation Analysis with Seven Steps) was developed in GIDAS, describing the human causation factors in a chronological sequence. The accordingly classified causation factors – derived from the systematic of the analysis of human accident causes (“7 steps”) – can be used to describe the influence of accident causes on the injury outcome. The bases of the study are accident documentations over ten years from 1999 to 2008 with 8204 vulnerable road users (VRU), of which 3 different groups were selected as pedestrians n =2041, motorcyclists n =2199 and bicyclists n =3964, and analyzed on collisions with cars and trucks as well as vulnerable road users alone. The paper will give a description of the injury pattern and injury mechanisms of accidents. The injury frequencies and severities are pointed out considering different types of VRU and protective measures of helmet and clothes of the human body. The impact points are demonstrated on the car, following to conclusion of protective measures on the vehicle. Existing standards of protection devices as well as interdisciplinary research, including accident and injury statistics, are described. With this paper, a summarization of the existing possibilities on protective measures for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists is given and discussed by comparison of all three groups of vulnerable road users. Also the relevance of special impact situations and accident causes mainly responsible for severe injuries are pointed out, given the new orientation of research for the avoidance and reduction of accident patterns.
Injury protection and accident causation parameters for vulnerable road users based on German In-Depth Accident Study GIDAS
Accident Analysis and Prevention ; 44 , 1 ; 149-153
2010-12-03
5 pages
Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch
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