With GIDAS in summer 1999 a joint effort between FAT (Forschungsvereinigung Automobiltechnik or Automotive Industry Research Association) and BASt (Bundesanstalt für Straßenwesen or the Federal Highway Research Institute) started one of the largest in-depth accident data collection. Since then vehicles, objectives in road traffic policies etc. and following that also the accident data collection methods and research questions altered. While passive safety was the driving scheme in the accident data collection, accident causation, pre-crash manoeuvres and vehicle equipment with respect to accident avoidance technologies are crucial information to be gathered in modern field data collections.

During the time since its start the two GIDAS teams in Dresden and Hannover followed the new requirements and developed together with their sponsors methods to integrate the new research questions into the accident data investigation process. The new methods were reviewed after their implementation and further optimised if necessary based on lessons-learned. For example the involved car drivers were asked for each possible active safety system whether or not it was on board, activated and gave any feedback. Today it is known that the majority of car drivers is not familiar with the actual equipment of the own vehicle. In addition they mostly are only able to say that there was any kind of feedback from the car but they are normally unable to allocate the system to the feedback. Following that experience the drivers are now asked for the kind of feedback (audible, visual, haptic) rather than the system behind the feedback. The allocation of the responsible system for the feedback is now based on the expert judgement of the investigator based on the interview with the driver and the actual vehicle equipment.

Today GIDAS utilises psychological interviews in order to better understand the accident causation beyond legal implication as normally investigated by the police. The interview provides information of the movement of the accident involved parties for a period of 5 seconds before the initial impact in order to better understand the pre- crash phase and to evaluate different accident avoidance technology systems within the real accident environment. Based on a large number of variables for active safety systems it is furthermore possible to calculate accident risks for vehicles with and without a specific system as soon as a sufficient number of vehicles are equipped.

Although the GIDAS teams have been active in addressing future needs of accident data collection there are still open issues such as information of the actual performance of driver assistant systems. This would be even more important for self-driving vehicles.