Truck Collisions With Personal Motor Vehicles and Starting Points for the Improvement of Personal Protection

The evaluation and selection of auto-safety measures demand as accurate as an understanding of truck-automobile collisions as possible. The purpose of the paper is to provide a basis for such determinations through treatment of actual collision situations in terms of frequency and consequences; subsequently, safety innovations are suggested.

Truck-automobile accidents are related to various factors including respective geometrical positions of the vehicles, driving speeds and truck weight. Results indicate that a significant safety improvement can be achieved through incorporation of wide, low bumpers, ideally around the whole truck; such a provision would expand the area of impact and permit more energy to be absorbed through deformation of exterior truck parts. Better designed protection of lower areas, both to the sides and directly below, can improve stability during collision and protection for persons and vehicles run over by the truck.