Traffic injury prevention
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Traffic injury prevention · Dec 2011
Comparative StudyDiurnal variation and injury due to motor vehicle crashes in older trauma patients.
By 2030 it is expected the elderly will comprise 25 percent of the drivers in the United States. It is also estimated that currently in the United States alone, 500 older adults are injured each day in motor vehicle crashes (MVCs). Current research has not been able to consistently produce a direct connection between MVCs and specific age-related changes. It is speculated that crash rates are more likely linked to an interaction between driver characteristics and driving conditions as well as the driving environment. Sundowner's syndrome occurs in older drivers starting in the late afternoon through early evening (generally between 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm) and involves behaviors such as confusion, disorientation, and restlessness. The following retrospective study was designed to assess the frequency of older drivers admitted to a trauma service due to an MVC based on the time of day of the MVC compared to younger and middle-aged drivers. ⋯ The evidence of the early evening time period having a differential impact on older drivers is through a demonstration of an Injury Time Period × Age Category interaction. This interaction was found to substantiate the hypothesis that older drivers have a disproportionately higher rate of injury due to an MVC during the early evening time period than younger and middle-aged drivers. In identifying the early evening's time period as a time in which older drivers are more likely to experience injury from an MVC than younger and middle-aged drivers, we believe that our research adds insight into why age restrictions have not been successful in reducing crash rates in the older driver population. It is the compound effect of age-related changes and environmental conditions that contributes to the higher proportion of MVCs. Age restrictions alone do not take into account environmental conditions.
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Traffic injury prevention · Oct 2011
Effects of countdown timers on driver behavior after the yellow onset at Chinese intersections.
Few studies have focused on the effect of countdown timers at signalized intersections in China, where such timers are widely deployed for their perceived benefits of increased safety and capacity. This study examines the effect of countdown timers on driver behavior during the yellow interval. ⋯ Countdown timers may lead to increased entrance into the intersection during the later portions of the yellow and even the red. This alarming finding calls for further research as well as for serious consideration before the field deployment of countdown timers.
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Traffic injury prevention · Oct 2011
An evaluation of graduated driver licensing effects on fatal crash involvements of young drivers in the United States.
Graduated driver licensing (GDL) systems are designed to reduce the high crash risk of young novice drivers. Almost all states in the United States have some form of a 3-phase GDL system with various restrictions in the intermediate phase. Studies of the effects of GDL in various states show significant reductions in fatal crash involvements of 16- and 17-year-old drivers; however, only a few national studies of GDL effects have been published. The objective of this national panel study was to evaluate the effect of GDL laws on the fatal crash involvements of novice drivers while controlling for possible confounding factors not accounted for in prior studies. ⋯ States that adopt a basic GDL law can expect a decrease of 8 to 14 percent in the proportion of 16- and 17-year-old drivers involved in fatal crashes (relative to 21- to 25-year-old drivers), depending upon their other existing laws that affect novice drivers, such as those used in these analyses. This finding is consistent with recent national studies that used different outcome measures and covariates. The results of this study provide additional support for states to adopt, maintain, and upgrade GDL systems to reduce youthful traffic crash fatalities.
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Traffic injury prevention · Oct 2011
Attempts at the practical on-road driving test and the hazard perception test and the risk of traffic crashes in young drivers.
This study separately examined the impact of the outcomes of a practical on-road driving test and a hazard perception test on the likelihood of traffic crashes among a cohort of newly licensed young drivers in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. ⋯ The findings have implications on licensing practices and suggest the need for adequate strategies to assist young drivers with multiple failures in the driving and hazard perception tests.
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Traffic injury prevention · Aug 2011
Census study of fatal car-to-car intersection crashes in Sweden involving modern vehicles.
Intersections are challenging for many road users. According to US, European, and global statistics, intersection-related crashes with fatal outcome represent approximately 20 percent of all traffic fatalities. The aim of this study was to use Swedish data to investigate and characterize fatal car-to-car intersection crashes for modern cars equipped with frontal and side air bags. ⋯ All modern car-to-car crashes with a fatal outcome occurring at Swedish intersections from 2003 to 2009 were side impacts. The crashes were characterized by a senior front seat driver, traveling with a front seat passenger, hit on the left side at approximately 70 km/h. In this study all fatal crashes occurred at severities beyond those currently evaluated in side impact rating procedures but were within survivable limits for a non-senior occupant in a majority of cases.