TY - BOOK
T1 - Road accidents of trailer combinations in Finland
T2 - A case study
AU - Kallberg, Veli-Pekka
PY - 1987
Y1 - 1987
N2 - In the years 1982 - 1986, road accident investigation
teams in four counties in Finland made in-depth
investigations of 171 accidents involving at least one
lorry & trailer or lorry & semitrailer combination. About
1/2 of the accidents were collisions between motor
vehicles outside junctions, 1/4 collisions at junctions,
1/7 were single accidents and 1/10 accidents involving
pedestrians, cyclists or mopedists. The trailer
combination was considered the main quilty party in 39 %
of the collisions between motor vehicles.
44 % of the collisions between motor vehicles caused by
trailer combinations were rear-end collisions or
accidents caused by last-moment manoeuvres to avoid a
rear-end collision. 22 % of the single accidents were
also of the latter type. These accidents were frequently
caused by too close following and too high speed. Driver
fatigue was one of the causes in 35 % of the single
accidents and 16 % of the collisions were caused by
trailer combinations.
Defective or ineffective brakes were one of the accident
causes in 11 cases. The brakes were sufficiently
effective and the brake force distribution between the
lorry and the trailer was well balanced only in 1/7 of
the trailer combinations involved in the accidents. The
time fag from the moment brake pedal was stepped on to
the moment wheel brakes began to operate was within
satisfactory limits (not more than 0,6 - 0,8 s) in about
a third of the trailer combinations. There is, however,
no evidence that the bellies of the vehicles involved in
accidents were any worse than the brakes of all other
such vehicles in traffic.
According to the survey, accidents of trailer
combinations could be reduced if a) drivers would keep
greater distances when following other vehicles, b)
drivers would avoid driving underfatique, c) police
enforcement of compliance to the driving time regulations
were increased, d) driver aspirant selection and
education were improved and e) regulations concerning the
brakes of trailer combinations were more up-to-date.
AB - In the years 1982 - 1986, road accident investigation
teams in four counties in Finland made in-depth
investigations of 171 accidents involving at least one
lorry & trailer or lorry & semitrailer combination. About
1/2 of the accidents were collisions between motor
vehicles outside junctions, 1/4 collisions at junctions,
1/7 were single accidents and 1/10 accidents involving
pedestrians, cyclists or mopedists. The trailer
combination was considered the main quilty party in 39 %
of the collisions between motor vehicles.
44 % of the collisions between motor vehicles caused by
trailer combinations were rear-end collisions or
accidents caused by last-moment manoeuvres to avoid a
rear-end collision. 22 % of the single accidents were
also of the latter type. These accidents were frequently
caused by too close following and too high speed. Driver
fatigue was one of the causes in 35 % of the single
accidents and 16 % of the collisions were caused by
trailer combinations.
Defective or ineffective brakes were one of the accident
causes in 11 cases. The brakes were sufficiently
effective and the brake force distribution between the
lorry and the trailer was well balanced only in 1/7 of
the trailer combinations involved in the accidents. The
time fag from the moment brake pedal was stepped on to
the moment wheel brakes began to operate was within
satisfactory limits (not more than 0,6 - 0,8 s) in about
a third of the trailer combinations. There is, however,
no evidence that the bellies of the vehicles involved in
accidents were any worse than the brakes of all other
such vehicles in traffic.
According to the survey, accidents of trailer
combinations could be reduced if a) drivers would keep
greater distances when following other vehicles, b)
drivers would avoid driving underfatique, c) police
enforcement of compliance to the driving time regulations
were increased, d) driver aspirant selection and
education were improved and e) regulations concerning the
brakes of trailer combinations were more up-to-date.
KW - trailers
KW - trucks
KW - lorries
KW - accident investigations
KW - traffic safety
KW - traffic accidents
M3 - Report
SN - 951-38-2995-2
T3 - Valtion teknillinen tutkimuskeskus. Tutkimuksia - Research Reports
BT - Road accidents of trailer combinations in Finland
PB - VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
CY - Espoo
ER -