Systematic Approach to the Objective Evaluation of Traffic Accident Databases

The article introduces a systematic approach to the objective evaluation of traffic accident databases, essential for the development and safety of automated and connected driving systems. The project, initiated by the German Research Association for Automotive Technology, aims to create a meta database that can pull information from various data sources worldwide. This meta database not only inventories the available information but also includes metadata that determine the suitability of data sources for specific research questions. The article highlights the methodology used for the objective evaluation, including a questionnaire with over 190 research questions, and showcases example applications such as analyzing cyclist safety data. The project's goal is to make the data-driven vehicle development process more efficient by reducing the research effort required to find suitable data sources. The article concludes with a summary and outlook, suggesting potential expansions to the questionnaire and the meta database's future applications.