What should I use to calculate vehicle EES?

Comprehensive crash analysis includes calculating impact speed, which requires the determination of kinetic energy expended on the deformation of the vehicle's structural elements at the point of contact during a collision. The accuracy of the input data affects the resulting analysis of the crash. Therefore, this article aims to analyse selected factors influencing the determination of Energy Equivalent Speed (EES) determination using the CRASH3 algorithm: the extent of damage using defined measurement points, deformation width, and also limit speed b0. The variables were varied depending on selected factors such as the extent of damage, the type of collision (overlap), and also vehicle type (vehicle category classification). The presented study concluded that using 2 equally spaced measurement points to define the deformation profile should not be recommended in forensic practice when using CRASH3 algorithm. Using 7 measurement points seems more appropriate in case of equal spacing, even though the differences in calculated EES are not high when using 5 or 6 measurement points, especially with respect to the inaccuracy/technically acceptable tolerance of the EES value determination. The resulting EES is significantly influenced by variation of the deformation width. The used b0 range had a significant effect on the resulting EES value only in the case of SUVs. These vehicles show higher stiffness, which supposes the use of lower b0 values should not be recommended.

Distraction in road traffic: How Czech media covers the issue.

Road users' inattention is one of the leading factors that contribute to crashes. It has been thoroughly researched from many perspectives, but there is limited information about the factors that influence risk perception and road users' attitudes. These factors are formed by personal and mediated experience, but education and public awareness play important roles. In this context, media seems to significantly influence risk perception and it may result in behavioural changes. This study aimed to review the coverage of driver inattention in the Czech media to analyse how it covers different types of inattention. Both quantitative and qualitative content analyses were conducted, and the sources of inattention mentioned in media reports were coded. We found the following: distraction is the most often reported inattention subtype; the media often communicates illegal behaviour, such as mobile phone handling; the preventive and educational potential of media coverage seems to not be fully utilized; and media reports are often focused on specific crashes, consequences, and immediate causes. Other risky aspects or inattention contributory factors tend to be neglected.

Factors related to severe single-vehicle tree crashes: In-depth crash study.

Vehicle-tree collisions are the most common type of road crash with fixed obstacle in Czech Republic. Based on the literature review and using real world in-depth crash data, this paper aims to define factors, which significantly influence the injury severity of single vehicle-tree crashes. In-depth data provide a comprehensive view to the failure on the system infrastructure-human-vehicle related to crash, the in-depth crash database include very detailed information related to infrastructure, vehicle, human failure and crash participants characteristics and their medical condition and also crash reconstruction. Multinomial logistic regression and generalized linear mixed model were used to determine the individual effect of each predictor. The statistically significant variables were the day period, trunk diameter and impact speed. Using multinomial logistic regression shows also vehicle age as statistically significant. Obtained results can help to efficiently direct countermeasures not only on the road infrastructure-e.g. speed reduction in selected locations with specified tree character. However, the emphasis should be also focused on driver behaviour.

Comparative analysis of two almost identical traffic accidents.

In the Czech Republic, 1 500 suicides are committed in average per year approximately. Only in a small percentage has been used vehicle as a tool. Prove suicidal intent in a fatal road accident has been difficult, but mostly these accidents have similar characteristics - impact with tree or similar fixed obstacle, non - use of seat belt, absence of brake traces, etc. The aim of this paper is to present and analyse two almost identical traffic accidents - identical location, identical vehicle type. While one of these was fatal (but not proven suicide), the second accident was not fatal, but with suicidal intent. Data were obtained as a part of the Czech In-depth Study conducted by Transport Research Centre. Data from In-depth Accident Analysis provide a comprehensive view of all the factors related to a particular accident and serve to identify the characteristics leading to the crash occurrence.