Fatal Traffic Accidents Research Articles

Reduce Speed Limits to Minimize Potential Harm and Maximize the Health Benefits of Street Trees

Urban greening is threatened by the concern that street trees increase traffic-related injury/death. Associations between all serious and fatal traffic crashes and street tree percentages were examined in Sydney, Australia. Associations were adjusted for confounding factors relating to driver behavior (speeding, fatigue, and use of alcohol) and road infrastructure, including alignment (e.g., straight, curved), surface condition (e.g., dry, wet, ice), type (e.g., freeway, roundabout), and speed limit. Models indicated that 10% more street trees were associated with 3% and 20% higher odds of serious or fatal injuries and 20% tree collisions on roads of any speed, respectively. However, further analysis stratified by speed limit revealed contrasting results. Along roads of 70 km/h or greater, 10% more street trees were associated with 8% higher odds of serious or fatal injury and 25% higher odds of death. Comparable associations were not found between street trees and serious or fatal injuries along roads below 70 km/h. Reducing speed limits below 70 km/h saves lives and may mitigate risks of serious or fatal traffic accidents associated with street trees, enabling greener, cooler, healthier cities.

The Vision Zero strategy and its goals

The relevance of studying the Vision Zero strategy is driven by the growing challenges in road traffic safety faced by modern societies. Despite advances in technology and infrastructure, the number of fatalities and injuries in road accidents remains a significant issue, requiring new approaches for resolution. In the context of increased attention to sustainable development and reducing the negative impact on the environment, Vision Zero offers innovative solutions aimed at harmonizing human safety with the ecological and economic demands of modern transportation systems. The Vision Zero strategy represents a modern and ambitious approach to road safety, aiming for the complete elimination of deaths and serious injuries on the roads. This study is dedicated to a comprehensive analysis of the main goals and principles of the Vision Zero strategy, as well as its application in the context of road safety within the European Union. The aim of the study is to thoroughly examine the key objectives of Vision Zero, such as achieving zero fatalities in traffic accidents and reducing serious injuries. Special attention is given to defining serious injuries and methods to reduce them, including both technical and infrastructural solutions. The paper discusses the core principles of the strategy, including ensuring the safety of vehicles, infrastructure, and driver behavior, as well as the principles of a systems approach and proactive risk management. The findings of the study confirm that the Vision Zero strategy is an effective tool for reducing the number of traffic accidents and serious injuries, due to its comprehensive approach to road safety. Specifically, the research shows that achieving Vision Zero’s goals has a significant socio-economic impact, including reduced medical costs and improved quality of life for citizens. The realization of these goals also promotes the implementation of new technologies and innovations in the field of safety, making transportation systems more efficient and reliable. By analyzing and justifying the importance of achieving the Vision Zero goals, the study underscores the need for a comprehensive approach to managing road safety and demonstrates the potential of this strategy to ensure a safer and more sustainable transportation environment in the European Union.

Study of Pattern of Craniofacial Injuries in Road Traffic Accident Cases Autopsied in Midnapore Medical College

Background: The objective of this study was to investigate the pattern of craniofacial injuries in victims of fatal road traffic accidents, observed through autopsies conducted at Midnapore Medical College, West Midnapore from January 2021 to December 2023. Methods: It is a retrospective, cross- sectional observational study. Data was collected by thorough analysis of the injuries documented in post-mortem reports of all the alleged road traffic accident cases where victim sustained Cranio- facial injuries within a time span of 3 years, from 1st January 2021 to 31st December, 2023. Data was analysed using Microsoft Excel. Conclusion: The study highlights the necessity of context-specific interventions to address the unique injury patterns observed in West Midnapore's road traffic accidents. Improving road infrastructure, raising traffic safety awareness, and promoting protective measures like seat belts and helmets can reduce severe craniofacial injuries. The prevalence of maxillofacial fractures underscores the face's vulnerability, with long-term physical and psychological impacts. Effective prevention strategies, such as strict traffic regulations and awareness campaigns on the dangers of distracted or impaired driving, are essential. Despite limitations, the study provides valuable insights into craniofacial injury patterns in fatal accidents, stressing the need for enhanced road safety, stronger traffic laws, and better post-accident care. Interdisciplinary collaboration among healthcare professionals, law enforcement, and policymakers is crucial for developing comprehensive strategies to manage and prevent these injuries. By examining regional injury characteristics and comparing them with other studies, this research contributes to the broader understanding of craniofacial trauma, offering significant implications for improving road safety, trauma care, and forensic practices.

Fatal road traffic accidents and injuries: a preliminary study.

Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are a major public health problem globally and cause deaths, disability, and significant economic costs. In Italy, there was an increased number of road accidents, deaths, and injuries in 2022 compared to 2021, although still below pre-pandemic levels. A retrospective observational study was performed on a case series of 53 consecutive fatal RTAs examined by the Section of Forensic Medicine of Verona. The case series was divided, according to the type of victims involved, into pedestrians, car drivers, car passengers, and motorcyclists. For each, the times and causes of death, the distribution of external and internal injuries, and toxicological data were analysed, and the results were compared with those in the literature. Although this is a preliminary study on a small case series and lacks statistical validation, so more cases are needed, the preliminary results seem to provide a useful tool for assessing injuries in complex fatal road accidents.

Identifying High-Risk Patterns in Single-Vehicle, Single-Occupant Road Traffic Accidents: A Novel Pattern Recognition Approach

Despite various interventions in road safety work, fatal and severe road traffic accidents (RTAs) remain a significant challenge, leading to human suffering and economic costs. Understanding the multicausal nature of RTAs, where multiple conditions and factors interact, is crucial for developing effective prevention measures in road safety work. This study investigates the multivariate statistical analysis of co-occurring conditions in RTAs, focusing on single-vehicle accidents with single occupancy and personal injury on Austrian roads outside built-up areas from 2012 to 2019. The aim is to detect recurring combinations of accident-related variables, referred to as blackpatterns (BPs), using the Austrian RTA database. This study proposes Fisher’s exact test to estimate the relationship between an accident-related variable and fatal and severe RTAs (severe casualties). In terms of pattern recognition, this study develops the maximum combination value (MCV) of accident-related variables, a procedure to search through all possible combinations of variables to find the one that has the highest frequency. The accident investigation proceeds with the application of pattern recognition methods, including binomial logistic regression and a newly developed method, the PATTERMAX method, created to accurately detect and analyse variable-specific BPs in RTA data. Findings indicate significant BPs contributing to severe accidents. The combination of binomial logistic regression and the PATTERMAX method appears to be a promising approach to investigate severe accidents, providing both insights into detailed variable combinations and their impact on accident severity.

Fatal traffic accidents involving electric scooters in Poland in 2019–2023

With the introduction of mobile applications that allow short-term rentals, electric scooters (e-scooters) are gaining popularity as a means of micromobility in urban areas. The aim of the study was to assess the circumstances and causes of death in traffic accidents involving electric scooters in Poland. The inclusion criteria for the study were met by 9 cases (7 M,2F; mean age: 40.3 years). Accidents usually occur during working days during the warm months, especially during the morning traffic rush hour. Usually, these accidents involved another vehicle (4/9 cases). In addition, the victim was most often the driver (8/9 cases) and rarely uses a helmet (1/9 cases). In only two cases did the test reveal the presence of alcohol in the blood at the time of the accident. In studied cases, head injuries occurred in every case, and injuries to the limbs and chest occurred in more than half of the cases. Within the head, in addition to minor injuries like bruises and epidermal abrasions, skull fractures, and intracranial bleedings predominated. Similar minor injuries were also observed in the extremities, with significant fractures observed only in the lower extremities. Among chest injuries, lung contusions predominated. The most common cause of death was craniocerebral injury (6/9 cases), but there were two deaths each from chest injuries and polytrauma. To increase the safety of e-scooter users, it is recommended that measures be taken to educate users about the potential risks of using the vehicle and that measures be taken to increase the use of helmets, e.g. through legislative action. Further studies involving larger study groups are needed to assess the correlation between potential risk factors and the fatal outcome of the accident.

Post‐road traffic injury experiences and challenges faced by college students: A qualitative study in Madurai district, Tamil Nadu, India

AbstractRoad traffic injuries (RTIs) are a pressing public health concern in India, leading to a rise in injury‐related deaths, hospitalizations, and disabilities. India accounts for a significant portion of the world's fatal traffic accidents, with two‐wheelers being involved in the majority of these accidents. The impact of non‐fatal injuries on individuals extends beyond the bodily consequences of the injury and includes both the physical and psychological dimensions of the injury. The literature indicates the need for policy cascades and implementation framework for the prevention of road traffic injury. This study aimed to investigate the post‐RTI experiences and challenges faced by college students who experienced road traffic injury during their college life by using a qualitative research approach in Madurai district, Tamil Nadu, India. The study found that college students who experienced RTIs faced a wide range of physical, emotional, and social difficulties. The study highlights the need for a more comprehensive and holistic approach to RTI prevention that takes into account the complex interplay of individual, environmental, and societal factors that contribute to RTIs. The study also underscores the urgent need to improve the quality and availability of healthcare and rehabilitation services for RTI survivors.

Driver Drowsiness Detection System

Among the leading causes of fatalities in traffic accidents is being sleepy while driving. Long-haul truck drivers, bus or overnight bus drivers, and drivers who operate their cars after midnight are more prone to encounter this issue. Accidents Senger’s worst Every year, car accidents involving drunk drivers result in several fatalities and serious injuries. Due to their enormous practical significance, identifying driver tiredness and its indication are therefore significant study areas. The acquisition system, processing system, and warning system are the three components or modules that make up the fundamental sleepiness detecting apparatus. The acquisition system takes a frontal facial video of the driver's and transmits it to the processing block for real-time analysis to identify weariness.

Lost years, mortality burden: the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on premature death due to road traffic accidents in a northern state in Malaysia

BackgroundThis study addresses the persistent global burden of road traffic fatalities, particularly in middle-income countries like Malaysia, by exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Road Traffic Accident (RTA) fatalities in Perak state, Malaysia, with a secondary focus on applying Years of Life Lost (YLL) to understand the implications of these premature deaths.MethodologyThe cross-sectional study retrospectively reviewed certified RTA fatalities from 2018 to 2021, individually counting fatalities in accidents and excluding cases with incomplete death profiles. Data were collected from all Forensic Departments in the government hospitals in Perak. RTA fatalities were confirmed by medical officers/physicians following established procedures during routine procedures. A total of 2517 fatal accident and victim profiles were transcribed into data collection form after reviewing death registration records and post-mortem reports. Inferential analyses were used for comparison between pre- and during COVID-19 pandemic. The standard expected YLL was calculated by comparing the age of death to the external standard life expectancy curve taking into consideration of age and gender in Malaysia.ResultsThis study included 2207 (87.7%) of the RTA fatalities in Perak State. The analysis revealed a decreasing trend in RTA deaths from 2018 to 2021, with a remarkable Annual Percent Change (APC) of -25.1% in 2020 compared to the pre-pandemic year in 2019 and remained stable with lower APC in 2021. Comparison between pre-pandemic (2018–2019) and pandemic years (2020–2021) revealed a difference in the fatality distribution with a median age rise during the pandemic (37.7 (IQR: 22.96, 58.08) vs. 41.0 (IQR: 25.08, 61.00), p = 0.002). Vehicle profiles remained consistent, yet changes were observed in the involvement of various road users, where more motorcycle riders and pedestrian were killed during pandemic (p = 0.049). During pandemic, there was a decline in vehicle collisions, but slight increase of the non-collision accidents and incidents involving pedestrians/animals (p = 0.015). A shift in accident from noon till midnight were also notable during the pandemic (p = 0.028). YLL revealed differences by age and gender, indicating a higher YLL for females aged 30–34 during the pandemic.ConclusionThe decline in RTA fatalities during COVID-19 pandemic underscores the influence of pandemic-induced restrictions and reduced traffic. However, demographic shifts, increased accident severity due to risky behaviors and gender-specific impacts on YLL, stress the necessity for improved safety interventions amidst evolving dynamics.

Fatal traffic accident associated to hypercapnic coma due to kyphoscoliosis: a case report

Fatal traffic accident associated to hypercapnic coma due to kyphoscoliosis: a case report

Forensic Assessment of Alcohol Intoxication in Cases of Fatal Road Traffic Accidents in Lithuania.

There is strong evidence that alcohol consumption is a significant risk factor for fatal road traffic accidents. It is estimated that the number of alcohol-related road accidents remains high in the past few years in Lithuania. This study aims to examine the prevalence of alcohol in blood samples collected from the autopsy results of road traffic accident victims. A retrospective study of 136 road traffic accident victims was performed in State Forensic Medicine Service of Lithuania in the period of 2013 to 2023. We analyzed blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in relation to sex, age, road user type, place and time of the day at death. 31% of the victims were under influence of alcohol at the time of death, with mean BAC 1.99 ± 0.92‰. The mean BAC was 2.16 ± 0.8‰ in male and 1.18 ± 1.12‰ in female group. By the type of road users, 23% of the pedestrians (mean BAC 2.45 ± 0.71‰), 32% of car drivers (mean BAC 2.13 ± 0.75‰), 41% of vehicle passengers (mean BAC of 1.73 ± 1.19‰), 37% of the motorcycle riders (mean BAC of 1.28 ± 0.53‰), 37% of the cyclists (mean BAC of 1.15 ± 0.75‰) were found to be intoxicated during the time of accident. Highest mean blood alcohol concentration was found during the night time hours (9 p. m. - 5 a. m.) 2.28 ± 0.91, comparing to in afternoon hours (12 p. m. - 5 p. m.) 1.49 ± 0.99, evening hours (5 p. m. - 9 p. m.) 2.10 ± 0.73 and morning hours (5 a. m. - 12 p. m.) 1.94 ± 1.00. The mean BAC in road traffic accidents during summer was 1.48 ± 0.71‰, spring 2.25 ± 0.76‰, autumn 2.12 ± 1‰, winter 2.42 ± 1‰. Alcohol consumption by road users is a significant contributing factor in road traffic accidents and their outcomes in Lithuania.

Pattern of Head Injury in Fatal Road Traffic Accident: Retrospective Study

Road traffic Accident have been reported to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Due to increasing modernization, road traffic accidents have become exponentially more frequent and dangerous. Mortality rate from road traffic injuries accounts 29.2 per 100000 people5. This study was conducted in the Department of Forensic Medicine, Silchar Medical College, Silchar, from 1st November 2021 to 31st October 2022. The aim of the study is the pattern of head injuries in fatal road traffic accident. Out of the 981 autopsy cases were conducted during the above-mentioned period, a total of 200 cases were found deaths due to head injuries. Out of 200 cases, common age group involved was from 40-50 years, the deceased were more from rural areas. Maximum cases during winter season. Commonest injuries were scalp abrasion, linear fracture of skull and subdural haemorrhage. Head injury has become a common cause of death and disability among Road Traffic Accident cases. This further shows the need of strict implementations of traffic rules. Positive policy initiatives such as mandatory helmet legislation need reliable and consistent data to support ongoing monitoring and enforcement of such initiatives.

Fatal road traffic accident and medico-legal aspects in Lomé (Togo)

Objectives: know the circumstances and causes of death related to traffic accidents which have been the subject of forensic expertise in Togo. Methods: It was a case series study on fatal road traffic accident victims who benefited from forensic expertise from 2017 to 2021 (5 years) in the pathological anatomy department of Lomé in Togo. Result: A total of 248 forensic expertise files were collected, representing an annual frequency of 49.6 cases. The sex ratio (M/F) was 3.1. The ages of the victims ranged from 1 to 84 years with an average age of 39.2±4.3 years. The circumstances were dominated by motorcycle collisions (101 cases; 40.7%) followed by motorcycle- vehicle (67 cases; 27.0%). Speeding was reported as the leading cause of accidents in 179 cases (72.2%). The victims were mainly passengers and motorcycle drivers in 115 cases (46.4%). The anatomical lesions were grouped into four groups: polytrauma (152 cases, 61.3%), severe head trauma isolated (55 cases, 22.2%), thoracic contusion (23 cases, 9.3%), and abdominopelvic contusion with perineal lesion (18 cases, 7.2%). Conclusion: Raising awareness and applying road safety principles among motorcycle and car drivers will help stop this threat. Government at all levels should implement strong policies to reduce the speed of vehicles on the roads. Objectifs : connaître les circonstances et les causes des décès liés aux accidents de la circulation qui ont fait l'objet d'une expertise médico-légale au Togo. Méthodes : Il s'agissait d'une étude de série de cas sur les victimes d'accidents mortels de la circulation ayant bénéficié d'une expertise médico-légale de 2017 à 2021 (5 ans) dans le service d'anatomie pathologique de Lomé au Togo. Résultats : deux cent quarante-huit (248) dossiers d'expertise médicolégale ont été recueillis, soit une fréquence annuelle de 49,6 cas. Le sex-ratio (H/F) était de 3,1. L'âge des victimes variait de 1 à 84 ans avec une moyenne de 39,2±4,3 ans. Les circonstances étaient dominés par les collisions entre motocyclettes (101 cas ; 40,7%) suivies par les collisions entre motocyclettes et véhicules (67 cas ; 27,0%). L'excès de vitesse était la cause principale des accidents dans 179 cas (72,2%). Les victimes étaient principalement des passagers et des conducteurs de moto dans 115 cas (46,4 %). Les lésions anatomiques ont été regroupées en quatre groupes : polytraumatisme (152 cas, 61,3%), traumatisme crânien sévère isolé (55 cas, 22,2%), contusion thoracique (23 cas, 9,3%) et contusion abdomino-pelvienne avec lésion périnéale (18 cas, 7,2%). Conclusion : La sensibilisation et l'application des principes de sécurité routière parmi les conducteurs de motocyclettes et de voitures contribueront à mettre un terme à cette menace. Le gouvernement à tous les niveaux devrait mettre en œuvre des politiques fortes pour réduire la vitesse des véhicules sur les routes.

Mechanical trauma in children and adolescents in Berlin.

Management of severe pediatric trauma remains challenging. Injury patterns vary according to patient age and trauma mechanism. This study analyzes trauma mechanisms in deceased pediatric patients. Fatal pediatric trauma cases aged 0-18 years who underwent forensic autopsy in the Federal State of Berlin, Germany, between 2008 until 2018 were enrolled in this retrospective study. Autopsy protocols were analyzed regarding demographic characteristics, trauma mechanisms, injury patterns, resuscitation measures, survival times as well as place, and cause of death. 71 patients (73% male) were included. Traffic accidents (40%) were the leading cause of trauma, followed by falls from height > 3m (32%), railway accidents (13%), third party violence (11%) and other causes (4%). While children under 14 years of age died mostly due to traumatic brain injury (59%), polytrauma was the leading cause of death in patients > 14 years (55%). Other causes of death were hemorrhage (9%), thoracic trauma (1%) or other (10%). A suicidal background was proven in 24%. In the age group of > 14 years, 40% of all mortalities were suicides. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was carried out in 39% of all patients. 42% of the patients died at the scene. Children between 0 and 14 years of age died most frequently from traumatic brain injury. In adolescents between 14 and 18 years of age, polytrauma was mostly the cause of death with a high coincidence of suicidal deaths. The frequency of fatal traffic accidents and suicides shows the need to improve accident and suicide prevention for children and adolescents.

Pattern and distribution of injuries associated with road traffic accident in Haldwani (Nainital) - An autopsy based study

Indiais one of the fastest growing economies. There is a rapid inflation of vehicles on the road that range from motorcycles to heavy vehicles which also shows an active surge in the fatal road accidents. This study is focussed to find out the pattern and distribution of injuries in fatal road traffic accident cases in Kumaon region of Uttarakhand as to plan at the time of policy making and traffic law implementation.: The present study was conducted in the department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology of Government Medical College, Haldwani from January 1 2019 to December 31 2019, on total 110 cases of RTA brought to mortuary for medico-legal post mortem examination.: Maximum number of cases sustained head and neck injuries (42 out of 110 externally) followed by extremities injury (28 out of 110). Total 38 cases out of 110 sustained head and neck injuries internally, followed by abdominal injuries (28 cases). Abrasions (30 cases) and laceration (29 cases) were commonest type of external injury noted in RTA cases followed by contusion (22 cases) and fracture (19 cases). Most common cause of death among RTA victims was head injury (40 out of 110 cases) followed by shock and haemorrhage (37 out of 110 cases).

IJCM_49A: Mortality trends of road traffic accidents due to human errors in Chhattisgarh and India (2016-2022)

Background: Road safety continues to be a major developmental issue, a public health concern and a leading cause of death and injury affecting not only the victims and their family but also the economy as a whole in terms of untimely deaths, disabilities and loss of potential income. India ranks 2nd in the number of road accidents and 1st in mortality due to RTA in the world. Road accidents are multi-causal due to interplay of various factors. These can be broadly categorized into those relating to (a) Human error (b) Road condition/ environment (c) Vehicle condition. Human errors for RTA include non-compliance to traffic rules and not using helmets and seatbelts, resulting in mortalities which can be mitigated by proper education, adherence and implementation of traffic rules. Objective: To analyze the mortality trends due to RTA by human errors in Chhattisgarh and India 2016-2022 Methodology: The RTA mortality statistics were retrieved from the Road accidents in India report published annually by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. A literature search was done in electronic databases like-PubMed, Google Scholar, other platforms using keywords- RTA mortality, Distracted driving Results: From 2016 to 2022, both Chhattisgarh and India experienced a steady rise in fatalities, peaking in 2022 due to overspeeding and helmet non-compliance. In 2019, India saw its peak in fatalities from alcohol-related driving, mobile use, and signal jumping, followed by a decline. Chhattisgarh experienced the highest signal jumping fatalities in 2017 and alcohol-relatedriving deaths in 2018 compared to other years Conclusion: The study reveals a decrease in road traffic accident fatalities caused by certain human errors post-2019, credited to the adoption of the Motor Vehicle Amendment Act 2019. Boosting public awareness and establishing robust surveillance measures are imperative in curbing fatalities caused by road traffic accidents (RTAs)

Calculation of the Level of Death Risk in Traffic Accidents Based On Aggregate Loss Costs

The transportation sector is undergoing transformative changes, driven by the emergence of autonomous vehicles and advancements in smart transportation systems. However, these innovations pose novel challenges, particularly in mitigating the risk of fatalities in traffic accidents. This study focuses on estimating death risk in traffic accidents by analyzing aggregate loss costs within the context of traffic safety. Employing a quantitative approach, the research utilizes the Poisson distribution to model the frequency of fatal incidents and the exponential distribution function to depict the distribution of associated losses. The study's objective is to calculate aggregate losses, offering insights into the potential severity of risks. Through a comprehensive analysis, the results affirm the efficacy of the Poisson and exponential distributions in assessing death risk in traffic accidents, with the highest estimated aggregate loss cost reaching Rp3.734.832,09.

Extremity Injuries in Pillion Riders of Fatal 2-Wheeler Road Traffic Accidents: An Autopsy-Based Study.

The extremities are the important anatomical regions that are disproportionately injured during road traffic accidents in poor and medium-income countries. The data regarding extremity injuries, particularly in pillion passengers, are minimal globally. We analyzed the pattern of extremity injuries and their association with various parameters such as collision type, seating position, road type, and type of vehicle. This was a hospital-based cross-sectional study. The pillion riders of fatal motorized 2-wheeler road accident cases that were subjected to autopsy were studied over a period of 2 years. We analyzed 73 cases of pillion riders. Females (60%) were the most commonly affected group. The upper extremities were injured in 55 cases (75.3%) and the lower extremities in 49 cases (67.1%). The shoulder (41%), hand (31.3%), and elbow (23.2%) were the predominantly injured anatomical regions of the upper limb. In the lower extremity, knee (41%) and foot (21.9%) were mostly affected. Forty-nine (67.1%) and 48 (65.8%) cases had abrasions in the upper limbs and lower limbs, respectively, followed by lacerations and contusions. Upper extremity injuries are more common compared with lower extremity. The majority of the pillion riders were seated in a side-saddle position, and self-fall from the bike without any collision with other vehicles was the most common mode of injury. Thus, appropriate seating posture with safety gear can be used to reduce extremity injuries.

An empirical analysis of the effect of economic activity and COVID-19 restrictions on road traffic accidents in Italy

Road traffic accidents are one of the leading causes of death for the young segment of the population. Prevention strategies can mitigate the occurrence of road accidents, and successful actions should take into account the most relevant causes of accidents. We use a comprehensive dataset which reports information from police records on all road traffic accidents with injures and/or deaths in Italy between 2014 and 2020 to explore the relationships among economic forces, driving behaviours and accident frequency and severity. More specifically, the natural experiment setting provided by the 2020 COVID-19-related movement restrictions allows to capture the effect of traffic intensity and other factors on the frequency of serious accidents and mortality. The empirical findings confirm a direct relationship between the level of economic activity and the frequency of accidents, whereas there is no clear link with their severity. Instead, lockdown periods are associated with a relatively higher occurrence of fatal road traffic accidents, due to both riskier driving behaviours at times of reduced traffic, and changes in transportation habits reflected by a higher probability of accidents involving bicycles and motorcycles.

Research on robustness of intelligent vehicle longitudinal active collision avoidance system based on equivalent external interference

The rate of fatal traffic accidents caused by sudden risks such as pedestrians crossing the road in violation of regulations and goods falling in front of the vehicles has remained high under the complex dynamic environment. The appearance of sudden obstacles/pedestrians will indirectly trigger sudden changes in sensor signals and control signals, and cause the drivers’ improper driving behaviors. At the same time, the parameter perturbation of the vehicle itself and the sensor noise and other direct disturbances will also put forward high requirements for the robust performance of the vehicle braking system controller. Traditional control methods are difficult to ensure the robust stability required by the vehicle braking system in the actual driving process under sudden emergency conditions. In order to improve the braking control performance and robust performance of the active collision avoidance system under sudden emergency conditions under the influence of its own parameter perturbation, sensor perturbation and other perturbations, this manuscript analyzes the accident risk characteristics of sudden emergency conditions, and establishes an equivalent virtual external force interference model [Formula: see text]. Considering the virtual external force interference model, self-driving parameter perturbation and sensor perturbation, we adopt the [Formula: see text] control theory-design brake controller. Under different perturbation conditions the [Formula: see text] controller, PID controller, and [Formula: see text] controller are simulated and compared. The results show that the [Formula: see text] controller can effectively suppress sudden emergency conditions under parameter uncertainty and external sensor noise interference compared with the PID controller and the [Formula: see text] controller, realizing emergency braking and collision avoidance, and having better closed-loop robustness.