no80 2009
Highly dangerous single-vehicle accidents:  Unconscious steering will put your life in peril



Introduction
  Even today, the total number of traffic accidents (causing injury or death) is still at a high level despite its steady decline, from peaking at 950,000 in 2004 to 770,000 in 2008. Among these cases, single-vehicle accidents particularly present a high fatal accident rate (= Number of fatal accidents / Number of fatal and injury accidents).

Single-vehicle accidents often occur in non-intersection locations where the traffic environment remains mostly unchanged; the driver is distracted or takes his/her eyes off the road and consequently does not notice the danger, fails to slow down, and crashes the car into a structure or other object by turning the steering wheel unconsciously. The degree of injury varies according to the vehicle speed,
the structure/object with which the car collides and the part of the car involved, safety measures taken, etc.

1. Overview of traffic accidents in 2008
2. Single-vehicle accidents analyzed through the statistical study database
3. Single-vehicle accidents analyzed through the in−depth study database
4. Examples of accidents


Conclusion

  The present analysis of single-vehicle accidents, in which the driver is more likely to be killed than in other accident types, has revealed the following characteristics:

* Single-vehicle accidents mostly occur:

− In non-intersection locations where the traffic environment remains mostly unchanged,
− As a result of the drivers overlooking danger due to being distracted or taking their eyes off the road,
− Without any decrease in the vehicle speed,
− By turning the steering wheel unconsciously,
− Resulting in crashing into a structure or other object,
− Causing the driver to suffer injuries mainly to the chest, head or neck,
− With varying degree of injury according to the road environment, vehicle speed, structure/object with which the car collided and the part of the car involved, safety measures taken, etc.

* Factors having a major influence on the characteristically high fatal accident rate for single-vehicle accidents are:

− The structure/object with which the car typically collides, and high vehicle speed.

From these results, the behavior that is necessary for us to avoid traffic accidents can be summarized, though it may seem too obvious, as follows:

1) In order to prevent a traffic accident from happening,

− Concentrate and get ready for driving before sitting behind the wheel.
− Carefully read the road environment/conditions.
− Control the vehicle (steering, speed, and braking) appropriately according to the changing conditions.
− In addition to the above and other driving behavior, always keep "safe driving" in mind.

2) As safety measures against potential accidents,

− The most effective safety measure is to wear your seat belt, which can help prevent you from being thrown from the vehicle as described in Case Study 2 above, and help reduce injuries.
Be sure to wear your seat belt not only when you are sitting in the driver's seat or the passenger seat but also in the rear seat.



Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis (ITARDA)