Traffic injury prevention
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Traffic injury prevention · Jan 2013
All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) on the road: a serious traffic safety and public health concern.
On-road all-terrain vehicle (ATV) crashes are frequent occurrences that disproportionately impact rural communities. These crashes occur despite most states having laws restricting on-road ATV use. A number of overall risk factors for ATV-related injuries have been identified (e.g., lack of helmet, carrying passengers). However, few studies have determined the relative contribution of these and other factors to on-road crashes and injuries. The objective of our study was to determine whether there were differences between on- and off-road ATV crashes in their demographics and/or mechanisms and outcomes of injuries. ⋯ More than 1 in 3 on-road crashes involved a collision with another vehicle, suggesting that ATVs on the road represent a potential traffic safety concern. Of note, helmets were associated with reduced risk for the number and severity of brain injuries, providing further support for the importance of helmet use. Finally, even controlling for helmet use, on-road crash victims suffered more major trauma and severe brain injuries than those off-road. Overall, our data reinforce the importance of laws restricting ATV road use and the need for effective enforcement, as well as the need to increase user education about ATV road-use laws and the dangers of riding on the roads.
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Traffic injury prevention · Jan 2013
Comparative StudyFifteen-passenger vans and other transportation options: a comparison of driver, vehicle, and crash characteristics.
Fifteen-passenger vans (15-PVs) are a convenient and economical way to transport small groups of people and many educational, community, and health organizations utilize them. Given recent tragic crashes involving 15-PVs, many organizations are reconsidering their use. The goal of this study was to examine driver, vehicle, and crash characteristics of fatal 15-PV collisions over the past 2 decades in comparison to 3 other common vehicle classes. ⋯ Drivers need to be aware that as occupancy rates of the vehicles they drive rise so does the risk of rollover and fatalities, especially among minivans and 15-PVs. Organizations transporting groups need to balance cost and safety management by selecting vehicle types and drivers with acute awareness of the risks involved.
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Traffic injury prevention · Jan 2013
Feasibility of a computer-delivered driver safety behavior screening and intervention program initiated during an emergency department visit.
Injuries from motor vehicle crashes are a significant public health problem. The emergency department (ED) provides a setting that may be used to screen for behaviors that increase risk for motor vehicle crashes and provide brief interventions to people who might otherwise not have access to screening and intervention. The purpose of the present study was to (1) assess the feasibility of using a computer-assisted screening program to educate ED patients about risky driving behaviors, (2) evaluate patient acceptance of the computer-based traffic safety educational intervention during an ED visit, and (3) assess postintervention changes in risky driving behaviors. ⋯ Overall, patients were very satisfied receiving educational information about these behaviors via computer during their ED visits and found the program easy to use. We found a high prevalence of self-reported risky driving behaviors in our ED population. At 1-month follow-up, patients reported a significant decrease in these behaviors. This study indicates that a low-intensity, computer-based educational intervention during an ED visit may be a useful approach to educate patients about safe driving behaviors and safe drinking limits and help promote behavior change.
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Traffic injury prevention · Jan 2013
Crash involvement of motor vehicles in relationship to the number and severity of traffic offenses. An exploratory analysis of Dutch traffic offenses and crash data.
To establish the statistical relationship between offenses and crashes when the unit of analysis is the vehicle instead of the driver, to show the influence of the severity (e.g., minor speed offenses) on this relationship, and to research whether the form of this relationship is similar in different enforcement contexts. ⋯ The crash involvement of vehicles increased more than linearly with the number of minor traffic violations. Thus, automatic detection of minor offenses bears relevance to safety. The substantial increase in crash rates with speed offense frequency for vehicles with at least one major speed violation suggests that these vehicles represent a specific group with a significantly increased crash risk, especially in the case of many minor offenses. The more progressive relationship between offenses and crashes in The Netherlands when compared to Canada was hypothesized to result from the higher intensity camera enforcement levels and less severe consequences in the Dutch enforcement and adjudication system.
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Traffic injury prevention · Jan 2013
Police documentation of alcohol involvement in hospitalized injured drivers.
Injured drivers with blood alcohol concentration (BAC) above the legal limit are rarely convicted of impaired driving. One explanation is that police may have difficulty recognizing alcohol intoxication in injured drivers. In this study, we compare police documentation of alcohol involvement with BAC measured on arrival at a hospital. Our objectives were to determine how often police document alcohol involvement in injured drivers with BAC ≥ 0.05 percent and identify factors that influence police documentation of alcohol involvement. ⋯ Police recognized and documented alcohol involvement in 72 percent of injured drivers with BAC ≥ 0.05 percent. Police documentation of alcohol involvement was more common at higher BAC levels, in nighttime or single-vehicle crashes, for drivers who committed traffic violations or drove unsafely, and for drivers with a prior record of impaired driving. The low conviction rate of injured impaired drivers does not appear to be due to police inability to recognize alcohol involvement.