The type of accident in which a tanker transporting dangerous goods is involved (the accident environment) is important for the assessment of the consequences of the tanker. It makes a large difference if the tanker collides with another truck or merely runs off the road. The accident environment analysis is based on the 17,645 accidents involving heavy vehicles that occurred in Denmark in the period 1983-88. Four major findings are presented in this paper: (1) The speed distribution of heavy vehicles involved in accidents; (2) The fraction of accidents which are collisions is shown to be 69-78% depending on the road type; (3) The distribution of "collision partner" (according to weight), and (4) An analysis of the distribution of the collision point at the heavy vehicle.
Abstract