News Release No 00/56

10 October 2000

Crash investigations place Loughborough University at the forefront of vehicle safety

Loughborough University has been selected to host one of two new UK crash investigation teams, which will aim to establish a world-leading database for vehicle safety research.

The team, which will be based within Loughborough's Vehicle Safety Research Centre (VSRC), will work on 'On The Spot (OTS) accident data collection' - a £2m research project funded by the Department of the Environment Transport and the Regions (DETR). Results from the 39 month investigation will be used to develop effective strategies for reducing road accidents and injuries to road users.

"For almost twenty years, the VSRC has investigated the causes of injury to car occupants, using data collected after an accident has been dealt with by the emergency services," explains OTS team manager Julian Hill. "Over the years, this research has contributed to changes in vehicle design, legislation and improved safety systems."

"The OTS project, however, will consider all road users, in particular pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, who are the most vulnerable road users. Governments and vehicle manufacturers now recognise that all road users need to be protected, and as such are interested not only in the consequences of crashes, but also in the causes of accidents, road user behaviour and the effects of road engineering."

Much of the information needed to understand these complex issues is found at the scene of a crash and is lost once the evidence is cleared away. As part of the OTS study, the specially trained investigators will work with the Nottinghamshire Police Force at crash scenes, before making follow-up investigations with specialists in trauma, vehicle safety, highway engineering and road user behaviour from the Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham, the local City and County Councils, and the Medical University of Hannover.

For further information contact Julian Hill, OTS Team Manager, on (01509) 283300, email ots@ice.co.uk; or Hannah Baldwin, Loughborough University Publicity Office, on (01509) 222239, email H.E.Baldwin@lboro.ac.uk

Notes to editors
Further information on the OTS project is available on the team's Web site at www.vsrc.org.uk/ots

The second crash investigation team is based at the Transport Research Laboratory in Berkshire.

The VSRC is based at the Research Institute for Consumer Ergonomics, Loughborough University.

Loughborough is an established university, with an international reputation for excellence in teaching and research, and for unrivalled sporting achievement. An average teaching quality score of 22.75 out of 24 places Loughborough first equal with Cambridge in the UK. Industry highlights Loughborough in their top five for graduate recruitment. In Research, more than 70% of staff were assessed in grades 4 and above. The University has been awarded two Queen's Anniversary Prizes, for its collaboration with industries such as BAE Systems, Ford and Rolls Royce, and for its work in developing countries.

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