The volume of traffic on the roads is increasing every year, as are road users’ speeds and time pressures. Everyone is in a hurry and a right of way gets ignored – with fatal consequences. A driver in a rush is travelling along the road and overlooks a motorcyclist’s right of way. The motorcyclist cannot brake in time and crashes into the side of the car. The collision is violent. The motorcyclist is very badly injured while the car driver suffers moderate injuries. An ambulance is on its way. This is a realistic scenario, but fortunately this time it is just a crash test, involving dummies instead of real people for demonstration purposes. 

Adrian Huwiler, a specialist in road accident emergency response and in occupational health and safety, approaches the scene of the accident: “This is a complex rescue situation. The driver of the car is removed though the roof in case there are any spinal injuries.” Fabian Aschwanden, Head of Passive Safety at DTC Dynamic Test Center AG, adds: “Now let’s take a look at the motorcyclist who collided with the car. It’s good that they were wearing excellent protective gear. If the motorcycle had been fitted with the latest assistance systems though, such as an integral braking system, ABS or proximity radar, the collision would likely have been less violent in real life as the motorcycle would have been travelling at a lower speed. This would have reduced the number of injuries in all the vehicles involved.” 

On the nearby DTC test track, a live demonstration involving three state-of-the-art motorcycles shows how driver assistance systems intervene in critical situations. In an emergency stop, ABS prevents the front and back wheels from locking, even on a bend, active proximity sensors automatically maintain a safe distance to the vehicle in front and a blind spot function alerts the rider to a vehicle in the rider’s blind spot before they attempt a dangerous overtaking manoeuvre. “Today’s motorcycles are equipped as standard with anti-lock braking systems and ASR, or anti-slip regulation, including special cornering versions that provide a high level of stability even in lean angles and on loose terrain. Driver assistance systems of the future will increasingly intervene to provide assistance at an early stage in critical situations before conventional stabilisation systems reach their limits,” sums up Marius Bloch, Head of Active Safety at DTC Dynamic Test Center AG. 

At the scene of our accident, the fire service arrives, cuts open the roof of the car and rescues the injured driver. The driver is handed over to the paramedics and secured horizontally in the ambulance, but without a shoulder restraint. The paramedic stands next to the patient during the journey, while the doctor is seated facing the rear and wearing the seatbelt correctly. 

Now there is another accident: a car (a parent with a small child are in the vehicle) crashes into the side of the ambulance. Luckily, the child is well secured in a children’s car seat with an air bag and is therefore even better protected from the consequences of the accident. Due to the force of the side impact, the ambulance experiences a huge sideways shift and the paramedic who was standing and not wearing a seatbelt loses their footing, is thrown around the inside of the ambulance and hits his head on the patient's head. The doctor, who was seated facing the rear and wearing the seatbelt correctly, remains secured in his seat during the collision, but hits on the vehicle's interior wall. Fabian Aschwanden, Head of Passive Safety at DTC Dynamic Test Center AG, adds: “It is very important that passengers wear the correct seatbelts in an ambulance, too, as otherwise they are likely to suffer serious injuries as a result of being thrown against ambulance equipment and/or other passengers.” 

Ambulances frequently transport patients in high pressure situations. The call-outs are often time-critical, and crews have to be mindful of road safety as well as the urgency of their medical care. Such accidents also often happen in circumstances where the vehicles are using their blue lights and sirens. This makes adequately securing patients and staff even more important. 

“Today’s crash test has clearly shown that driver assistance systems and the right protective gear significantly boost motorcycle safety and can prevent accidents – or reduce the severity of accidents. Children’s car seats fitted with air bags offer additional safety in the event of an accident. The ambulance scenario allowed us to clearly demonstrate how severe the repercussions of an accident can be for patients and emergency responders if they are not wearing seatbelts correctly or are not adequately restrained. Our plea is quite clear: Even in emergency situations, it is vital to take a few extra seconds to secure all passengers,” concludes Daniel Junker, Head of Vehicle Experts at Baloise, summarising the insights from this year’s crash test.