Unfallbeteiligung von Wohnmobilen 2010 bis 2020

With this study the Federal Highway Research Institute follows up on the last study on the accident involvement of motorhomes from 2012. In addition to the analysis of the development of the number of motorhome accidents in the period from 2010 to 2020, the structure of these accidents is also examined. The characteristics of the drivers of the motorhomes involved and some technical features of the vehicles such as the motorisation and the permissible gross weight are also analysed. Furthermore, the small group of passenger cars towing caravans is included in the investigation as far as possible. These two groups are compared to the group of all passenger car accidents (all vehicles coded as passenger cars by the police, including motorhomes (until 2013) and passenger cars towing caravans). Only about 60% of motorhomes are coded in the official accident statistics under the characteristic “type of road user”. Thus no complete information is available on the accident occurrence of motorhomes within the framework of the regular publications of the Federal Statistical Office. Nevertheless, it is possible to identify German motorhomes via the technical data of the motor vehicle supplemented by the Federal Motor Transport Authority and to evaluate them with the full range of characteristics of the official data material. With a share of less than one percent of all accidents with personal injury, accidents involving motorhomes do not represent a focal point in accident occurrence. In 2019, 920 accidents resulting in personal injury were registered in which a motorhome was involved. This is 24% more than at the beginning of the period in 2010 (n= 723). In comparison, all accidents with personal injury involving passenger cars remained at the same level over the same period. In 2019, 12 persons were killed and 265 persons seriously injured in accidents involving motorhomes. However, only 2 of the persons killed and 79 of the persons seriously injured were occupants of the motorhome; the remaining casualties were registered with the other party involved in the accident. Nevertheless, the analysis of the severity of motorhome accidents, differentiated according to drivers and passengers shows starting points for improving safety. On average, in the period from 2010 to 2019, the severity of the consequences for the occupants in the motorhomes was significantly higher for passengers than for drivers. 70 passengers per 1,000 passengers suffered serious injuries while only 35 serious injuries were counted per 1,000 drivers.