Transport Fatal Accidents and F-N Curves 1967-2001

This paper responds to a research brief to provide transport fatal accident data and empirically based FN-curves.

The aims are first to compare the frequencies and severities of fatal railway accidents with those of road and air transport, and secondly to present FN-curves showing the severities and frequencies of fatal main line train accidents, separately identifying those which are preventable by Automatic Train Protection (ATP).

The paper presents FN-graphs for both these purposes and also considers the use of criteria for FN-curves.

The construction of empirical FN-curves requires a large amount of fatal accident data.

It therefore assembles and presents data for 1967-2001 in all British transport fatal accidents with 10 or more fatalities on all modes; all British fatal main line train derailments, collisions and overruns; and all main line train accidents with 20 or more fatalities in the fifteen countries of the present European Union.