Tracking down the causes
MHH traffic accident research
The MHH has been researching traffic accidents for almost 50 years. When there is an accident with injuries in Hanover or the surrounding area, it is often not just the police and emergency services that are on the scene. Silver vehicles with red stripes, which are part of the MHH's traffic accident research team, are also frequently seen at the scene. Their employees survey the scene of the accident, take dozens of photos and interview the people involved - always on a voluntary basis, of course, and without hindering the emergency services and police.
It is not unusual for up to 3,000 different pieces of data to be recorded during an accident, as every detail, no matter how small, can be important in the search for evidence. How did the accident happen? Could it have been prevented by assistance systems, for example? Could particularly serious injuries have been avoided with better protective clothing? These and other questions determine the everyday work of MHH accident researchers.
Depending on the question, technical and medical information on thousands of accidents can be evaluated again and again. This creates a reliable basis for the development of laws and guidelines. The findings also flow into the development of new products: motorcycle clothing, bicycle helmets, safety belts and even the shape of car bumpers have been and are constantly being improved thanks to the work of MHH accident research. Much of this work is made possible by public funding. However, the accident researchers rely on donations for special projects.
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From the work of MHH accident research
Questions & answers on accident research
At the beginning of the 1970s, the number of road accidents had risen to such an extent that the highest number of road deaths was recorded in 1971 at around 20,000, forcing the German government to take action. Scientific teams in Heidelberg, Berlin and Hanover began to document accidents on site. In the capital of Lower Saxony, the accident surgeon Prof. Dr. Harald Tscherne, in cooperation with the Technical University of Berlin, was the founder of accident research at the MHH.
Approx. 1.1 million people live in this survey area. The area covered is approx. 2,291 km², of which around 10% is designated as an urban area. Compared to the area of the Federal Republic of Germany, where 10% can also be regarded as built-up areas, this results in an approximate comparability.
Two models are currently used for accident documentation. On the one hand, road accidents involving personal injury are recorded in six-hour shifts every day according to a statistical sampling plan and, on the other hand, particularly serious accidents that are not already documented within the sample are recorded around the clock.
The random sample creates a representative and highly calculable database for the Federal Republic of Germany. Due to the positive development in road safety, the number of accidents with fatalities and serious injuries has decreased to such an extent that the statistical sample no longer provides a sufficient database for analysis. The full survey of fatal accidents, which began in 2019 and was supplemented in 2021 by the survey of accidents involving road users who are likely to be very seriously injured, is intended to counteract this.
A recording team consisting of 2 technicians, 1 physician and 1 coordinator is available to record the accident. The coordinator has the task of leading the team according to the statistical sampling plan. The team has 2 emergency vehicles at its disposal. The alarm is raised by the police and fire department.
If a traffic accident with personal injury is reported that meets the admission criteria, the admission team drives to the scene of the accident. The emergency vehicles are equipped with various measuring equipment, among other things, with which the accident site is measured. By documenting the traces of the accident and vehicle damage, it is possible to reconstruct the events of the accident. Furthermore, extensive surveys are carried out, including on
- environmental conditions
- structural features
- road design
- traffic regulations
The vehicles involved in the accident are examined in detail with regard to
- vehicle deformations
- impact points of occupants or external road users
- Technical characteristics such as vehicle type and technical equipment
The persons involved are questioned regarding
- the course of the accident
- Personal data
- Driving license, duration of vehicle use and other special features
Vehicles involved in the accident that cannot be examined at the scene of the accident are measured promptly by a reworker.
The medical professional integrated into the team drives to the scene of the accident in a separate vehicle. He begins documenting the care of the injured and the medical measures at the scene of the accident. At the hospital, he then completes the information about the patient's further care. The type, severity and localization of the injuries are documented, as this is the only way to compare the injuries sustained with the technical causes and develop measures to prevent injuries. It goes without saying that the employees are trained in the initial treatment of accident patients so that they can provide assistance if necessary and support the emergency services working on site.
The data collected is fed into a special accident database in anonymized form, which then forms the basis for all further studies. Depending on the type of accident, around 500 to 3000 individual pieces of information are recorded for each accident. Every year, around 700 accidents involving personal injury are recorded in the Hannover Region.
Results from MHH accident research
