History

Road accident research began in the USA: the physicist William Haddon carried out the first investigations at accident scenes in the early 1950s. In Europe, such safety studies were not started until the late 1950s - in Sweden, the effectiveness of seat belts was investigated on the basis of evaluations of real accidents. In Germany, vehicle manufacturers carried out the first studies at the scene of accidents in the 1960s, particularly Opel, Daimler-Benz, Ford and VW. The car manufacturers' surveys focused on the safety of their own brand vehicles.

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.

For the NATO Committee on the Environment, the steadily rising number of traffic fatalities was the reason for commissioning a pilot study to analyze accidents. In addition to Great Britain, France and the Netherlands, Germany, represented by the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt), was also involved. After completion of the project, the accident survey was continued at national level. The MHH team led by Professor Tscherne worked closely with that of the TU Berlin and maintained the interdisciplinary character of medicine and technology, combined with psychology.

The project manager working in Hanover from Berlin was Professor Dietmar Otte, who further developed the working methods and data structure, designed a usable survey catalog and repeatedly demonstrated the benefits of data collection at the accident site to the client through scientifically sound evaluations.

The results of the work were incorporated into scientific accident research at national and international level. A particular focus under Professor Otte's leadership was also on the development of reconstruction methods for determining speed in accidents. Today, Professor Otte is a recognized expert in the field of accident research, biomechanics and the assessment of accident injuries. Based on the "Hannover Medical School" model, accident research teams are currently being set up in other countries.

The focus of the researchers has changed over the years. At the beginning of accident research, the focus was on the individual accident and its individual injury situation. Later, the main focus was on the accident as a whole and the associated risks and sources of injury in vehicles and at the accident scene. Based on the findings of the accident researchers, numerous measures could be taken to prevent injuries. The passive safety of road users has increased significantly: Over the past 40 years, the number of road deaths in Germany has fallen from 20,000 to less than 4,000 per year. However, as the number of accidents, at over two million, still requires measures, accident researchers will also focus on active safety in the future. This involves strategies for accident avoidance and prevention.