Traffic injury prevention
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Traffic injury prevention · Jan 2014
Formation and Evaluation of Act and Anticipate Hazard Perception Training (AAHPT) intervention for young novice drivers.
Young novice drivers' poor hazard perception (HP) skills are a prominent cause for their overinvolvement in traffic crashes. HP, the ability to read the road and anticipate forthcoming events, is receptive to training. This study explored the formation and evaluation of a new HP training intervention-the Act and Anticipate Hazard Perception Training (AAHPT), which is based upon exposing young novice drivers to a vast array of actual traffic hazards, aiming to enhance their ability to anticipate potential hazards during testing. ⋯ Inclusion of an active-practical component generates an effective intervention. Using several evaluation measurements aids performance assessment process. Advantages of each of the training methodologies are discussed. Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Traffic Injury Prevention to view the supplemental file.
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Traffic injury prevention · Jan 2014
Characterization of vertebral angle and torso depth by gender and age groups with a focus on occupant safety.
The human body changes as it becomes older. The automotive safety community has been interested in understanding the effect of age on restraint performance. Focus has been placed on characterizing the body's structural changes associated with age and gender. In this study, spine alignment and torso depth were assessed, because both variables have been shown to affect injury risk. ⋯ The changes in the vertebral angles, as well as the anterior and posterior spine-to-skin distances along the sagittal plane, were determined as a function of age and gender. The effect was greatest in the mid-thoracic area. Spine alignment and body shape differences need to be considered in human mathematical models used to develop safety countermeasures for the older population, because they may affect the loading path and lead to different seating postures or belt positioning. Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Traffic Injury Prevention to view the supplemental file.
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Traffic injury prevention · Jan 2014
Motor vehicle crash-related injury causation scenarios for spinal injuries in restrained children and adolescents.
Motor vehicle crash (MVC)-related spinal injuries result in significant morbidity and mortality in children. The objective was to identify MVC-related injury causation scenarios for spinal injuries in restrained children. ⋯ Restrained children in nonrollover MVCs with spinal injuries in the CIREN database are most frequently in high-speed frontal crashes, of teenage age, and have vertebral fractures. There are age-specific mechanism patterns that should be further explored. Because even moderate spinal trauma can result in measurable morbidity, future efforts should focus on mitigating these injuries.
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Traffic injury prevention · Jan 2014
Crash characteristics and injury patterns of restrained front seat occupants in far-side impacts.
The study was conducted to determine the association between vehicle-, crash-, and demographic-related factors and injuries to front seat far-side occupants in modern environments. ⋯ The findings are as follows: head and thorax are the more frequently injured body regions, and the prevalence of cranium injuries is similar at both injury severities; thoracic injuries are more prevalent at the MAIS 3+ level; the presence of another front seat occupant plays a role in MAIS 3+ trauma; injuries continue to occur at changes in velocity representative of side impact environments; and mean demographic factors are close to mid-size automotive anthropometry, indicating the need to pursue this line of study. Because data were gathered from only 4 years, it would be important to include additional NASS-CDS database years, rescore injuries from previous years, and analyze other international databases to reinforce these findings for advancing safety for far-side occupants.
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Traffic injury prevention · Jan 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialMild to moderate dehydration combined with moderate alcohol consumption has no influence on simulated driving performance.
Many people consume alcoholic beverages following a period of physical activity that results in fluid loss through sweating (e.g., after sports, work). Adequate rehydration following physical activity may not occur, consequently resulting in the consumption of alcohol in a dehydrated state. This may have serious implications for the safety of individuals operating motor vehicles. Therefore, this study investigated the impact of mild-moderate dehydration in combination with moderate alcohol consumption on simulated driving performance. ⋯ Overall, it appears that dehydration does not exacerbate impairment in driving performance caused by mild-moderate alcohol intoxication. Further research is required to clarify the effects of alcohol and dehydration at various alcohol doses.