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A changed attitude to environmental concerns together with rising fuel prices has resulted in an increasing demand for alternative forms of fuel for vehicle propulsion. In particular, the registration figures for vehicles powered with compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) show strong growth rates in Europe. Both vehicles originally equipped by the manufacturer and those which are retrofitted are very common. To find out more about the technical- and fire safety of retrofitted cars DEKRA Accident Research carried out a crash test in accordance with FMVSS 301. The results were used to prepare a guide for rescue services.

A decreasing supply of oil necessitates alternatives in powering vehicles to ensure mobility for future times. Hydrogen, natural gas and methanol are three of the most discussed replacements for common fuel. Even though some of these alternative concepts are still based on conventional internal combustion engines the fuel storage and supply systems contain a lot of differences. The question about the fire safety is one of the first asked in all cases the fuel system is affected. Various regulations ensure a high safety level but differences to conventional systems stay.

Although post-collision vehicle fires occur in less than 1% of all traffic accidents, they pose an enormous threat to the passengers involved. According to an estimate made by the German Federal Highway Research Institute about 80 persons are killed by post-collision vehicle fires each year in Germany, while the NHTSA refers to about 300 in the USA. To learn more about what causes the fires and to thus be able to conclude prevention measures, DEKRA analysed 79 accidents involving a vehicle fire. The consequent report identifies the main causes of ignition and the combustibles most frequently involved. Rudimentary proposals for improvements are outlined and relevant legal regulations are listed.

The progress of passive safety in car-to-car frontal collisions can be seen very clearly from the results of crash tests with old and new car models. The published federal accident statistics show an overall effort in passive safety, which is obvious by decreasing figures of killed and severely injured car occupants per year on German roads. But it is not possible to exclusively focus on car crashes with frontal collisions because the characteristics investigated in official statistics are not detailed enough. Therefore additional in-depth studies are necessary. The paper shows results of car-to-car and car-to-barrier frontal impacts for old and new car models. Some results of evaluations using the federal German statistics show historical trends in a more general view. Interdisciplinary real-life crash studies are focused on car-to-car frontal collisions.

Everyone who is ordering goods via catalogue or internet initialises the use of a van or box-type truck (so called transporter) for delivery close to the front door. Increasing needs lead to an increasing number of such vehicles on the road and corresponding increasing number of accidents. In Germany there is a considerable increase in the frequency of registered goods vehicles with a maximum permissible weight less than 7.5 t and of accidents with involvement of these vehicles in the long term since the end of the 80ies. Transporters are the majority within this vehicle category. With this background the accident research unit of DEKRA started to study real world crashes with involved transporters. A result of the study is that transporters drive and collide at similar speeds as cars but only 20 % of the transporter drivers wear seat belts. Transporters collide most frequently with passenger cars.