More and more modern cars in Germany are equipped with an Event Data Recorder (EDR) that records various parameters, such as speed, steering angle, and the operation of the brake and accelerator pedals, in the last five seconds before an accident [1]. Thus, the EDR provides objective insights into the pre-crash phase and makes it possible to compare these information with the subjective statements of accident participants.

The AARU (Audi Accident Research Unit) analyses in an interdisciplinary manner traffic accidents that have occurred on Bavarian roads and in which a vehicle of the AUDI Group was involved. In order to understand the cause of an accident, standardized telephone interviews are conducted with the drivers involved in the accident. As part of the study, the statements of 131 drivers about the course of the accident, the driven speed and possible reactions before the accident are compared with the data recorded by the EDR.

All accidents whose analysis could be completed by the end of October 2023 were included, provided that both an interview with the driver and data from the EDR were available. All accidents analyzed in this study occurred between 2017 and 2023.

There have been found differences concerning the driven speed and the reaction. The course of the accident reported by the drivers was mostly plausible, only in a few cases the EDR data showed another sequence of events leading to the accident.

[1] Bosch Automotive Service Solutions. (2015). CDR Product Brochure: Crash Data Retrieval. https://cdr.boschdiagnostics.com/cdr/manuals