Skip to main content
Presentation
A Human Error Analysis of U.S. Fatal Highway Crashes, 1990-2004
50th Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (2006)
  • Rebecca Iden, Clemson University
  • Scott A. Shappell, Clemson University
Abstract
For decades, motor vehicle crashes have consistently been one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. Historically, few attempts to address this problem have focused on human error. Even fewer have incorporated an analysis of human error when assessing possible preventative measures. The Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) is an established framework for investigating and analyzing human error associated with accidents in other transportation modes such as aviation and rail. This study seeks to extend the application of HFACS to driver error in fatal motor vehicle crashes. Preliminary HFACS results suggest skill-based errors and violations are prevalent in fatal motor vehicle crashes. Relationships between driver error, lighting conditions, and States were also observed. Further investigations will be aimed at identifying the fundamental areas of human error relative to real world driving to identify data-driven interventions.
Keywords
  • highway safety,
  • motor vehicle crashes,
  • human error,
  • Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS),
  • fatal automobile collisions,
  • driver error
Disciplines
Publication Date
October, 2006
Location
San Francisco, CA
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/154193120605001761
Comments
This paper appears on pages 2000-2003 of the Proceedings.
Citation Information
Rebecca Iden and Scott A. Shappell. "A Human Error Analysis of U.S. Fatal Highway Crashes, 1990-2004" 50th Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (2006)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/scott-shappell/26/