Accident data recorders have been available in Germany and neighbouring countries since 1993. They are intended for retrofitting voluntarily in cars and trucks. The data stored in the accident data recorder are used to determine the cause of road accidents. If, due to a lack of clues, it is not possible to reconstruct the accident accurately in the conventional manner, the accident data recorder can increase legal certainty in the event of claim settlements and possible prosecution. Since only a few certain facts are known about what happens directly before a collision (pre-crash phase), this report illustrates the additional benefits of the accident data recorder for accident research. The report contains a study of literature on what is already known about the pre-crash phase and a description of the accident data recorder's technology. The study centres on pilot surveys of data from 42 accidents involving vehicles equipped with accident data recorders. At the same time, the productiveness of the accident data recorder as a data source is compared with classic data sources by consulting further case compilations in the DEKRA database. The success rate for ascertaining individual features which could not generally be ascertained fully without an accident data recorder is increased by 100% both in the pre-crash phase and at other stage of the accident. In addition, nine critical situations were recorded by accident data recorders in participating vehicles. Combinations of the analysis of driving-dynamics data and status data in the accident data recorder provided an insight into the way the driver reacts which had not been possible before without an accident data recorder. Possibilities of this kind which can only be offered by an accident data recorder may prove to be a key benefit of accident data recorders for future research into the pre-crash phase. Some of the necessary information can be obtained directly from the accident data recorder, other data are only available once the accident has been reconstructed and can then be assigned to the sequence of events constituting the accident, specific to time and travel. The report explains that, in combination with classic accident reconstruction, accident data recorders can increase the objectivity of data acquisition. (A)
Abstract