In-Depth Investigation of Contributing Factors to Car-Motorcycle Accidents in Budapest City

Danish, Farooq; Janos, Juhasz · 2019 · DOAJ

DOI: 10.2478/rjti-2019-0009

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Summary

This study investigates the contributing factors to car-motorcycle accidents in Budapest, Hungary, motivated by rising motorcycle fatalities and the inherent vulnerability of motorcyclists. With motorcyclists accounting for 15% of road accident fatalities in the EU and Hungary’s road safety performance lagging behind the EU average, the research aims to identify specific causes of these collisions to inform targeted safety measures. The study focuses on human-related factors, such as driver and rider behavior, and environmental constraints like view obstructions, which are cited as primary causes in previous literature. The methodology involved a two-stage process using data from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office for the period 2011–2014. Initially, statistical analysis identified 2,673 car-motorcycle accidents in Budapest’s built-up areas, categorizing them into six dominant accident types based on collision configurations. From this dataset, 50 accidents were selected via stratified sampling for in-depth analysis. These cases were reconstructed using Virtual Crash software, simulating the five seconds preceding each collision. The simulations utilized police reports to model vehicle positions, speeds, and trajectories at a 1:200 scale, allowing for the measurement of parameters such as relative angles, impact speeds, view obstructions, and collision avoidance maneuvers. The results indicated that 80% of the analyzed collisions occurred at intersections, with the most frequent accident type (24%) involving vehicles traveling in the same direction where one vehicle turned. Perception failure was the leading driver behavior factor, present in 34% of accidents, followed by traffic scan errors (24%). For motorcyclists, high speed (28%) and critical overtaking (22%) were the most prevalent behavioral factors. View obstructions, both stationary (20%) and mobile (16%), contributed significantly to collision risks. Crucially, the study found that 88% of car drivers and 52% of motorcyclists attempted no collision avoidance maneuvers, such as braking or swerving, prior to impact. Demographic analysis revealed that motorcyclists involved in accidents were significantly younger and had less driving experience than car drivers. The significance of this research lies in its detailed identification of behavioral and environmental factors leading to car-motorcycle collisions, providing a basis for specific countermeasures. The authors propose safety interventions based on the "3E" rules: education, engineering, and enforcement. Recommendations include enhanced rider training, road safety campaigns, and the implementation of active safety systems like anti-lock brakes and vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Additionally, the study suggests infrastructure improvements, such as dedicated motorcycle lanes, and stricter enforcement of speed limits and helmet use to mitigate the high risk of fatal injuries associated with these accidents.

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Topics

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• motorcycle crash typology
• vru crash typology
• pre crash contributing factors

Information type

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• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes