Analysis of passenger vehicle accident damage

Abstract

The results of a three month study, involving the use of traffic law enforcement officers to record detailed information on vehicle damage at the scenes of motor vehicle accidents, is presented. The data collected throughout the study was recorded on specially designed questionnaire forms. These provided additional information not normally noted by the accident reporting authorities. The study resulted in damage data being recorded for a total of 406 passenger vehicles. This accounted for only 20% of the actual number of accidents occurring throughout the survey period in the region covered by the study. However, as has been shown elsewhere (Tedford and Milne 1981), the data accurately reflected the true accident pattern and thus provided an acceptable basis for statistical analysis. The results were analyzed with respect to the possible effects vehicle damage might have on the positioning and orientation of child safety seats within the passenger compartment. It was found that the risk to a restrained child in the front passenger seat from broken glass, as a result of a shattered windshield, was relatively small. The risk of injury from large loose objects being transported inside the vehicle was also small. However, the problems of vehicle encroachment and the rigidity of vehicle seats, following impact, suggested the front passenger seat to be a high risk zone, when compared to the center back seat position.