1. Road Traffic Injury Data in Ireland:
What single vehicle collisions can tell us about roadside hazards and their contribution to injury severity.
Clodagh Staunton
Mid West National Road Design Office

2. Road Traffic Injury Data in Ireland:
What single vehicle collisions can tell us about roadside hazards and these hazards contribution to injury severity.
This presentation will touch upon issues that include…
Single Vehicle Collisions in Ireland
- Reported on the national road network (approx km)
Use of collision data beyond statistical reporting
- Forgiving Roadsides/Road Safety Inspections
Ok ( Check Second Point Explanation)

3. Single Vehicle Collisions in Ireland
Count of all reported injury collisions on National Roads (approx km) – January 2014 to Dec 2016
Number of reported injury collisions during the period 2014 to 2016 on the National Road Network
3725
Number of reported
multi-vehicle collisions
2605 (70%)
Number of reported
single-vehicle collisions (run off the road)
874 (23%) Ok
Remaining 7% of collisions assigned as ‘Other’ or ‘NULL’.
No extensive cleaning of the data was carried out to determine where these 7% of collisions lie.

4. Single Vehicle Collisions in Ireland A breakdown by typeOk

5. Single Vehicle Collisions in Ireland
An alternative classification of the data

6. Hazards towards the top of the chart are roadside features (beyond the verge) associated with older legacy roads

7. Hazards towards the bottom of the chart are within the road or close to the road edge, included as part of a road design

8. Hazards to the left are the chart are linear/continuous type hazards

9. Hazards to the right of the chart are usually single isolated type hazards

10. 1 : 3 81 259 Wall - Stone Wall - Stone
Combining all reported Material Damage Only collisions (RMDOC) with reported Injury collisions (RIC)
A proxy for reported collisions severity based on all available SVC data
The chance of injury resulting
in this type SVC is
1 : 3 81
Reported SVCs injury collisions with …..
Wall - Stone
259
Reported SVCs material damage only
collisions with …..
Wall - Stone

11. Combining all reported Material Damage Only collisions (RMDOC) with reported Injury collisions (RIC)
A proxy for reported collisions severity based on all available SVC data

12. Combining all reported Material Damage Only collisions (RMDOC) with reported Injury collisions (RIC)
A proxy for reported collisions severity based on all available SVC data

13. Combining all reported Material Damage Only collisions (RMDOC) with reported Injury collisions (RIC)
A proxy for reported collisions severity based on all available SVC data

14. Safe Systems approach acknowledges ….
Use of collision data beyond statistical reporting
Forgiving roadsides, part of a safe systems approach
Safe Systems approach acknowledges ….
People make mistakes and the road transport system needs to accommodate this fact.
The human body has finite capacity to withstand physical force before sustaining a serious injury or fatality.
Roads that we travel on, vehicles we travel in, speeds we travel at need to be more forgiving of human error.
Typical existing legacy road cross-section
Recovery zone
Limited severity
zone
Limited severity
zone
Clear zone
Clear zone
CEDR, Forgiving Roadside Design Guide (2013)

15. Clear zone Clear zone Recovery zone
Use of collision data beyond statistical reporting
Forgiving roadsides, part of a safe systems approach
The most effective roadside improvement can be accomplished by providing an obstacle free area.
Objects that cannot be eliminated should be relocated outside the Clear Zone.
The Clear Zone is composed of different areas; the recovery zone (hard shoulders) and the limited severity zone.
The width of Clear Zones varies depending on underlying policy and practicability and have a relationship between horizontal road geometry and design speeds.
Recovery zone
Limited severity
zone
Limited severity
zone
Clear zone
Clear zone

16. 1:1 1:5 1:3 1:3 1:9 Clear zone Clear zone Recovery zone Tree
Use of collision data beyond statistical reporting
Forgiving roadsides, part of a safe systems approach
Tree
1:1
Road Edge - Ditch
1:5
Wall – Stone
1:3
Fence Timber
1:3
Barrier - Steel
1:9
Recovery zone
Limited severity
zone
Limited severity
zone
Clear zone
Clear zone

17. 1:1 1:5 1:9 Clear zone Clear zone Recovery zone Tree Road Edge - Ditch
Use of collision data beyond statistical reporting
Forgiving roadsides, part of a safe systems approach
Tree
1:1
Road Edge - Ditch
1:5
Barrier - Steel
1:9
Recovery zone
Limited severity
zone
Limited severity
zone
Clear zone
Clear zone

18. Multi Vehicle Collisions in Ireland
A breakdown by type

19. Multi Vehicle Collisions in Ireland
Ratio of Reported Injury Collisions To Material Damage Collisions

20. Multi Vehicle Collisions in Ireland
Per cent of fatal collisions to injury collisions

21. Participants attending the first ‘Vehicle Restraint Systems Design Course’ in Dublin, Dec 2015
8 courses completed since December 2015
Course run by Engineers Ireland in conjunction with TII
Check Engineers Ireland Website for future training courses
The course aim is to develop a better understanding of design, installation and maintenance of VRS in accordance with relevant standards.

22. Thank You.
References
CEDR. (2013) Forgiving Roadside Design Guide,
CEDR. (2015). Selection of Appropriate Vehicle Restraint Systems,
Derrika, H, M. Mak, P, M. (2007). Underreporting of road traffic causalities, OECD, IRTAD
ETSC. (2017). European Transport Safety Council: Press release June8th, to-cut-serious-road-injuries/
Short, J. (2017). Traffic Injuries in Ireland: a neglected problem, Trinity College Dublin
Short, J. Caulfield, B. (2013). How Many Road Traffic Injuries In Ireland?