This paper describes a model for research of accident-creating mechanisms by employing the data from an automatic accident recording system as a practical engineering method. These systems were installed in three unsignalised intersections. Over a period of 2 years, 50 actual accidents and many near misses were recorded. A majority of the head-on collisions were caused by driver misjudgements as they entered the intersections. An analysis was conducted of the mechanism that determines a driver's actions immediately prior to an accident, as affected by the safety performance of his own vehicle and the movements of other vehicles, on the basis of the image data recorded. Also studied were factors that affect the driver decision-making. The paper focuses on cases in which accidents have occurred despite the fact that sufficient regard for safety was exercised by the drivers on the minor road. (A)
Abstract