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Accidents in the Netherlands involving heavy motor vehicles

 

On behalf of the RDW Vehicle Technology & Information Centre, SWOV analysed accident data concerning heavy vehicles (all motor vehicles with a total weight of more than 3,500 kg). The question was whether the collision involving the rear end of heavy vehicles, including their trailers and semi-trailers, is a serious problem to other road users, compared to collisions involving the front end and the sides of these vehicle types. It was also examined (R-98-50) how the number of heavy vehicle accidents have developed over the years 1985 to 1997.

This investigation was done, since it should be decided by EEVC whether rear underrun protection of heavy vehicles need specific attention, as compared to side and front underrun protection.

It was figired out that the absolute number of accidents involving heavy vehicles with rear-end damage is far lower than the number of heavy vehicles with side damage. The number of heavy vehicles with frontal damage is the highest of the three.

Differences in injury severity of drivers of opponent vehicles suggest that semi-trailer tractors are more aggressive than lorries, while buses are the least aggressive.

Cars are by far the most important opponent in rear-end accidents, while in side collisions both cycles and mopeds are prominent too. In frontal collisions both cars and cycles are the more important opponents.

Considering these results, one could therefore say that front underrun protection deserves more attention than side underrun protection, while rear underrun protection would only be third in this row.

But, the decision for this kind of priorities may also depend on the costs and effectiveness of protective devices that are available or in development for either of the three heavy vehicle sides.

Therefore, application of rear underrun protection could theoretically become a first priority, if devices of low costs and with high effectiveness could be developed and applied.

SWOV Research Activities 11 - March 1999

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