Traffic accident investigation is one of the pilot studies addressed by the Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society NATO, in a program to improve road safety throughout the world. Under the guidance and direction of the Netherlands, specially trained accident investigation teams from nine European and North American nations have produced approximately 520 indepth traffic accident reports of actual crashes. Intrinsic to these reports are the detailed descriptions of vehicle damage and occupant injury. Vehicle damage is quantified by application of the Vehicle Deformation Index (VDI). Injuries are recorded in a multivariate table which identifies type of injury, injury location on the body, severity of injury (Abbreviated Injury Scale-AIS), and component or element that caused the injury.

Statistical procedures will be presented to show the feasibility of using international traffic accident data collected according to a standard format.

Data from the 520 accident reports will be examined with respect to injury production and injury severity for various common vehicle damage patterns. Statistical charts, graphs, and tables will illustrate the findings. Significant phases in the data base will be presented.