Analysis of Road Traffic Accidents on NH 45 (Kanchipuram District) Ravishankar Rajaraman Dr. Ahamedali M. Hassan Jeya Padmanaban JP Research India Pvt. Ltd. A wholly owned subsidiary of JP Research, Inc.

Introduction Real-time crash investigation 75 km stretch of NH 45 (Otteri to Acharapakam) 45 days - 1st September to 15th October 2008 Intimation support from Kanchipuram District Police Objectives: Develop a framework and methodology Study accidents on NH 45 Proprietary information, such as names/addresses of accident victims and vehicle registration numbers, was NOT included in the research.

Overview Methodology Results Conclusions Future Work Significance

Methodology Accident Intimation Crash Scene Examination Vehicle Examination Exterior Examination Interior Examination Injury Coding and Correlation

Accident Intimation Base camp: Chengalpattu Single dedicated contact number Researchers on call – 24/7 In the event of an accident Receive call from police Identify location Rush to scene within 30 minutes Post examination Collect police records/documents

Scene Examination Crash scene pictures GPS log Scene measurements Final vehicle position Point of impact Vehicle trajectory Skid marks, debris, etc. Scene diagramming

Vehicle Examination Exterior Examination Interior Examination Recording direct and indirect damages Crash Severity Regulatory/Legal compliance Interior Examination Measurement of interior intrusions Occupant contact points with vehicle interiors Safety systems use

Collision Deformation Classification To classify the location and extent of vehicle damage. Provides visualization of a crash’s configuration and severity. J224, MAR 1980, Collision Deformation Classification, SAE J1301, AUG 2003, Truck Deformation Classification, SAE

Collision Deformation Classification CDC: 01FZEW3 01 : PDOF F : Area of deformation (Frontal) Z : Specific lateral area (Right and Centre of Frontal Area) E : Specific vertical area (Below windshield) W : Type of Damage Distribution (Wide) 3 : Maximum Extent of Crush from Front Bumper towards Windshield

Crush Jig developed by JPR India Crash Severity Impact Speed Crush Profiling Max Crush Delta V/Barrier Equivalent Speed Stiffness Coefficients? Manufacturer crash test data ARAI crash test data Electronic aids? Crush Jig developed by JPR India

Vehicle Interior Examination Occupant contacts Passenger Compartment Intrusion Comparison of measurements with exemplar vehicle

Vehicle Interior Examination Safety System Use Seatbelt use Pre-tensioner firing Airbag deployment Seatbelt stretch marks Airbag deployment Seatbelt loose Seatbelt tight

Injury Coding and Correlation Obtain Medical Records of injured persons Abbreviated Injury Score (AIS) Developed by the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine (AAAM) 7 digit code 1 Body Region 2 Type of Anatomical Structure 3/4 Specific Anatomical Structure 5/6 Level 7 Severity Score

Injury Coding and Correlation Correlation (Biomechanics) – an example Mr. Co-passenger suffers head laceration in accident. Says he was belted. Injury report: Head Laceration Vehicle Inspection Report: Occupant contact on windshield No marks on seat-belt Dust line on seat-belt Conclusion: Head laceration caused due to windshield contact. No belt use. Injury AIS code Head Laceration 110600.1 Occupant contact point

Results: General Overview Type of Injury Type of Road User Time of Day

Results: A little more in-depth! Multiple-vehicle accidents No head-on collisions Front-Rear collisions only Highest accident type Single-vehicle accidents Pedestrian Impact Object Impact Rollover

Front-Rear Collisions Leading vehicle Low injury severity Usually trucks Following vehicle High injury severity, especially for smaller vehicles Wider variety of vehicles

Front-Rear Collisions Pre-accident vehicle condition Slowdown Driver decision making. Stopped Driver/occupants human requirements Breakdown Tyre punctures Overtaking You may know better!

Front-Rear Collisions - Causes Infrastructure U-turn design Separate lanes for entry/exit Insufficient shoulder width Poor signage and driver facilities Vehicle Non-functioning tail lamps No reflective markers Poor tyre tread depths Human Lack of safety training Emergency situations Poor use of indicators, helmets, seat-belts One picture says it all…

Object Impacts Man made Road side objects Life threatening when vehicle is stopped abruptly Need for “forgiving” design

Pedestrian Impact and Rollovers Pedestrian Impacts 4 of the 5 cases involved high speeds in excess of 50 kmph. Absence of pedestrian warning signals or pedestrian crossings. Commercial vehicles on duty (taxis/ on hire) 3 accidents in broad daylight Rollovers Only 2 cases, no injuries Night time, wet roads Poor tyre tread-depths

Conclusions Methodology works In-depth accident data collection with police support is very much possible Data capture with readily available tools Not financially prohibitive Framework can be extended to all India Front-Rear Collisions (59%) biggest contributor to NH 45 accidents Reason: Pre-accident condition of leading vehicle Slowing down, stopping, breaking down or overtaking

Future work! More in-depth data studies are required to understand the causes of heavy truck accidents on highways. Analysis of Heavy Truck Accidents on NH45 and the Urgent Need for In-depth Truck Accident Data Collection on National Highways. Jeya Padmanaban, Ravishankar Rajaraman, Greg Stadter JP Research India Pvt. Ltd. Networking with accident hospitals is essential to obtain injury data for coding injuries and for detailed injury analysis. Coimbatore Project (Aug – Oct 2009)

Significance of In-depth Data Understanding location specific problems/weaknesses Implementing safety systems/strategies (vehicle/highway/road user) based on real-world research Increasing public awareness about traffic safety issues through convincing evidence and examples Anticipating injury trends by EMS and doctors to prepare and treat patients accordingly Concrete evidence based decision making Auditing and realizing Better Returns on Investment

Thank you!