Ulykker på motorveje - HVU

9. ENGLISH SUMMARY
The number of motorway accidents and personal injuries has increased in
the last ten years. A decision has also been made to raise the speed limit on
some motorway sections. The Danish Accident Investigation Board has carried
out an in-depth analysis of motorway accidents, to provide recommendations
for accident prevention measures and for measures that should be introduced
for the new speed limits.
A total of 39 motorway accidents were analysed. 112 individuals were involved
in these accidents as driver, passenger or pedestrian. 47 drivers were male,
13 were female and one driver was of unknown sex (the driver fled from the
site). Drivers’ ages were between 17 and 76. 16 of those involved in the
accidents studied were killed, 61 were injured and 35 were uninjured.
These accidents can be considered to be very typical motorway accidents, of
recent years. The depth and detailed nature of the analysis has given valuable
results. However, the number of accidents studied is limited, which means the
statistical value of the results is however low.
The Danish Accident Investigation Board’s analytical approach is based on the
interplay between road user, road, environment and the vehicle immediately
in front, before, during and after an accident. This method gives a more
accurate picture of the circumstances around an accident, and the factors
that determine how serious an accident becomes. The analysis leads to the
identification of a series of accident factors, which through their combination
result in the occurrence of an accident, and a number of injury factors, which
contribute to the seriousness of an accident.
Results and recommendations
Risk blindness
Nearly half of the drivers involved in the accidents studied can be considered
to be risk blind. These drivers’ actions contributed to the accident occurring.
However, they are not aware that they have acted in an irresponsible or
reckless way before, during or after the accident. Risk blindness is considered
to be a factor that interacts with several of the other accident factors revealed
by the analysis.
Poor evaluation of the weather situation
Most drivers who were responsible for accidents, had incorrectly evaluated the
road traffic situation. In half of the accidents where incorrect evaluation was
an accident factor, it was visibility and weather conditions which had been
incorrectly evaluated. Drivers appear to find it difficult to correctly evaluate
visibility and weather conditions such as fog, slippery roads and darkness.
This is shown in the choice of incorrect speeds in relation to weather and
visibility. Drivers are in many cases risk blind, shown in statements made after
an accident indicating that they believed that they had chosen the correct
speed in relation to visibility and weather conditions.
Temarapport • ULYKKER PÅ MOTORVEJE
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