Traffic injury prevention
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Traffic injury prevention · Jan 2019
Acute injuries resulting from accidents involving powered mobility devices (PMDs)-Development and outcomes of PMD-related accidents in Sweden.
Objective: Powered mobility devices (PMDs) are commonly used as aids for older people and people with disabilities, subgroups of vulnarable road users (VRUs) who are rarely noted in traffic safety contexts. However, the problem of accidents involving PMD drivers has been reported in many countries where these vehicles have become increasingly popular. The aim of this study is to extract and analyze national PMD-related accident and injury data reported to the Swedish Traffic Accident Data Acquisition (STRADA) database. ⋯ Conclusions: The present study shows that further research on PMD accidents is required, with regard to both single accidents and collision events. To ensure that appropriate decisions are made, future work should follow up on injury trends and further improve the quality of PDM-related accident data. Improved vehicle stability and design, increased usage of safety equipment, proper training programs, effective maintenance services, and development of a supporting infrastructure would contribute to increased safety for PMD drivers.
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Traffic injury prevention · Jan 2019
Analysis of rider and child pillion passenger kinematics along with injury mechanisms during motorcycle crash.
Objective: Traffic fatalities among motorcycle users are intolerably high in Thailand. They account for 73% of the total number of road fatalities. Children are also among these victims. ⋯ However, a high risk of skull, lower extremity, brain, and neck injuries were more pronounced for cases with config-CM. A high risk of DAI was also noticed for the child. In simulations with config-CM the child exhibited a higher risk of severe injury.
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Traffic injury prevention · Jan 2019
Observational StudyPedestrian risky behavior and safety at zebra crossings in a Ghanaian metropolitan area.
This article assesses pedestrian behavior and safety at zebra crossings in the Cape Coast Metropolis. ⋯ The majority of the pedestrian crashes in the metropolis resulted in injuries resulting in hospitalization or fatalities and occurred at a midblock. Pedestrians largely exhibited risky behaviors predisposing the occurrence of RTCs at zebra crossings despite the fact that they are a pedestrian right-of-way. There is therefore the need for the National Road Safety Commission to carry out campaigns to educate pedestrians on the safer use of zebra crossings.
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Traffic injury prevention · Jan 2019
Marijuana use and driving in Washington State: Risk perceptions and behaviors before and after implementation of retail sales.
Washington is among the first states to legalize recreational use of marijuana. This study examined marijuana use and risk perceptions before and after retail sales of recreational marijuana began in July 2014, the relationship between risk perceptions and marijuana use, and the relationship between self-reported marijuana use and drug test results. ⋯ The prevalence of daytime THC-positive drivers increased substantially a few months after retail sales of marijuana were legal. Daytime and nighttime prevalence of THC-positive drivers was similar after retail sales. This pattern differs from that typically found for alcohol use, which is consistently higher among drivers at nighttime, compared to daytime. Reports of marijuana use were not always consistent with drug test results, which suggests that comparisons of self-reported marijuana use before and after legalization could be biased. This study examined marijuana use and risk perceptions over the course of 1 year. However, law changes may influence cultural norms gradually over a longer period of time. Future studies should continue to monitor marijuana use over time, as well as identify ways to determine whether drivers are impaired by marijuana.
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Traffic injury prevention · Jan 2019
Driver distraction and inattention in fatal and injury crashes: Findings from in-depth road crash data.
Objective: This study investigated the contribution of driver distraction and inattention within fatal and injury crashes using recent in-depth road crash investigation data. To assist in developing system-based solutions, this study also examined the wider context in which inattention-related crashes occurred and the characteristics of inattentive drivers. Methods: The sample included in-depth crash data from 186 fatal and injury crashes in South Australia investigated from 2014 to 2018. ⋯ Conclusions: The findings established that almost a third of fatal and injury crashes involved driver inattention and distraction and many of these could have been prevented. System-wide solutions that could mitigate or prevent distraction crashes include intervening vehicle safety technologies, infrastructure solutions to promote a forgiving road environment, blocking capabilities within technologies to prevent communications while driving, and interventions communicating the risks associated with inattention. Of significance, this study also demonstrated the importance of in-depth data for understanding the contribution of distraction and inattention errors in crash causation.