Traffic injury prevention
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Traffic injury prevention · Feb 2010
Road crash trends for young drivers in New South Wales, Australia, from 1997 to 2007.
The objective of this article was to explore overall crash and injury trends over the past decade for young drivers residing in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, including gender and age disparities. ⋯ Overall, there has been a significant decline in young driver crashes in NSW over the last decade. Regardless of injury severity, males' risk of crash has reduced more than female young drivers, but drivers aged 17 continue to be at higher risk. These findings provide feedback on potential road safety successes and areas needing specific interventions for future improvements.
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To quantify the effect of model year (MY) on the occurrence of severe injuries and death after involvement in motor vehicle crashes. ⋯ Front seat occupants of later MY vehicles injured during crashes experience a decreased likelihood of very severe thoracic injuries, spinal injuries, and death.
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Traffic injury prevention · Dec 2009
The utility of seat belt signs to predict intra-abdominal injury following motor vehicle crashes.
Safety belts are the most important safety system in motor vehicles and should always be worn to prevent serious injury. The purpose of this study, using Crash Injury Research Engineering Network (CIREN) data, was to assess occupant and crash factors associated with minor contusions and abrasions caused by the safety belt (commonly referred to as seat belt signs) and their association with serious intra-abdominal trauma. ⋯ Seat belt signs remain an important physical finding in patients with intra-abdominal injury following motor vehicle crashes. Front seat passengers presenting with seat belt signs were more than twice as likely to sustain intra-abdominal injury; thus, emergency physicians and trauma surgeons should be aware of passenger position when evaluating a seat belt sign.
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Traffic injury prevention · Dec 2009
Roof strength and injury risk in rollover crashes of passenger cars.
A 2009 study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that midsize SUVs with stronger roofs, as measured in quasi-static tests, had lower risk of ejection and lower risk of injury for nonejected drivers. The objective of the present study was to determine whether a similar association exists for other vehicle groups. ⋯ The association between vehicle roof strength and occupant injury risk in rollover crashes appears robust across different vehicle groups and across roof SWR(5) values, varying from just more than 1.5 to just less than 4.0. If roofs were to increase in strength by one SWR(5), a 20-25 percent reduction in risk of serious injury in rollovers would be expected. Still, even if all vehicle roofs were as strong as the strongest roof measured, many rollover injuries still would occur, indicating the need for additional research and countermeasures.