De invloed van voertuigmassa, voertuigtype en type botsing op de ernst van letsel : analyse van ongevallen- en voertuiggegevens uit de jaren 1996-1997. In opdracht van het Directoraat-Generaal Rijkswaterstaat, Adviesdienst Verkeer en Vervoer AVV.

This report gives an account of research into the passive safety of cars and vans. This research utilized accident data between 1996 and 1997, and this was linked to vehicle data from the same period. This information was used to determine the effect of vehicle mass, collision type and vehicle type on the seriousness of injury to the driver and the other party. The degree of passive safety of individual car types was also compared. Cars in the Netherlands have become heavier on average since all new car types have an increasing kerb weight. As a result of this, differences in mass between vehicles are also increasing. Vehicle mass seems to have an enormous effect on head-on, side and rear-end collisions. Vehicle mass appears to have almost no effect on collisions with an obstacle. The crash type also affects its outcome. A head-on collision is considered to be more serious on average than a side collision, and both are more serious than a rear-end collision. Collisions with an obstacle have the worst outcome. Collisions outside urban areas have a more serious outcome on average than collisions in urban areas. The largest differences in passive safety are the result of traditional methods of vehicle construction and testing.