Crash recorders opening up the box Anders Kullgren

Crash recorders – opening up the box Anders Kullgren Head of road traffic safety research at Folksam 1

Crash recorders - content • Why crash recorders? • Potential applications • Different types of recorders / running crash recorder projects • Examples of results • Summary 2

Benefits of using crash recorders • Increased quality of accident data – Increased accuracy of data – Possibility to use information previously not possible to obtain • Better evaluation of new safety technology • Knowledge of injury thresholds for the design of a crashworthy road transport system • Better understanding of injury causes and injury mechanisms • Influence on accident involvement risk? • Useful from legal aspects (insurance) • Information used for ”e-Call”systems 3

Some applications • Pre-crash data to investigate collision causation – Evaluation of active safety systems • Crash data to investigate crashworthiness – Evaluation of interior safety systems – Calculate injury risk versus impact severity minor injuries AIS 1+ (n=278) moderate injuries AIS 2+ (n=72) serious injuries AIS 3+ (n=18) • Accident reconstruction 1 Risk 0, 8 0, 6 0, 4 0, 2 0 0 5 10 15 20 Mean acceleration (g) 25 30 4 N=452

Furhter applications • Linking laboratory to real-life crashes – Reconstruction of occupant kinematics using advanced occupant simulation codes with real-life data, such as crash pulse and car characteristics, as input – Calculate injury risk functions and injury tolerance levels – Validation of injury criteria 5

Types of crash recorders • Purpose of the recorder – Research – Legal aspects and accident involvement • Pre crash, crash and post crash data • Type of parameters recorded – Performance of the car – Crash severity – Driver behaviour 6

Examples of running “large fleet” projects • Since 1990 s - GM and Ford cars (more advanced in late 90 s) • Since 1995 - Volvo DARR in Volvo cars – approx 500. 000 cars fitted • Other manufacturers, Saab etc… • Since 1992 - Folksam CPR project - 220. 000 cars fitted with Crash Pulse Recorders • Since 1995 - UDS in Austria, Switzerland Germany… 7

Storage and availability of data • Important that such data can be available for research purposes • Important for designers of both road infrastructure and cars • Who will have access to the data? 8

Some examples of results from the Folksam crash recorder database • Example of crash • Exposure data • Injury risk • Evaluation of safety technology (airbag) 9

Toyota Yaris – Saab 900 (old) Minor injuries (clav. fracture) Driver + front seat pass. fatally injured 10

Number of crashes and injured - Delta-V 11

Injury risk - Delta-V 12

Influence of airbags on risk of whiplash injury in frontal impacts (1999 figures) 13

Summary • Crash recorders are important – for evaluation of new safety technology – to get knowledge of injury thresholds for the design of a crashworthy road transport system • Important to encourage initiatives where data can be available for research institutes and governmental bodies 14

Wider use • A wider use of crash recorders or event data recorders is desirable. A mandatory fitment of such devices would help but is not necessary. • It is important to ensure that data from recorders will be collected and stored in such a way that it is available to designers of both cars and road-side objects, and especially to the responsible bodies for the road transport system. 15