Accident; analysis and prevention
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To find out the prevalence of suicides and other types of self-destructive behaviour in fatal motor traffic accidents in Finland, all the data on fatal accidents compiled by road accident investigation teams in the years 1987-1988 and 1991-1992 were investigated. The results were compared to an earlier study covering the years 1974-1975 and 1984-1985. The two 4-year periods covered a total of 2440 cases, which were classified into four groups: suicides, unclears, negligents and 'true' accidents. ⋯ Single-vehicle accidents were typical in the negligent group and collisions in the other groups. The drivers in the negligent group were younger than the drivers in the suicide and unclear groups. At the time of the accident, the most common mental state among suicide drivers was 'depression'.
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Concerns about bicycle-related deaths and injuries have led to extensive injury prevention efforts in the United States, yet these concerns are not universal. For instance, in France attitudes toward bicycle safety are quite different. To understand more about variation in urban bicycle safety behavior, we observed passing bicyclists in Paris and Boston. ⋯ These large and seemingly contradictory percentages are the result of different laws and public health priorities, types of bicycle riding, and perceived risks. Suggestions for further research and practical ways to improve U. S. bicycle safety behavior are discussed.
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This paper presents a study of mini-bus traffic accidents aimed at gaining insight into the factors affecting accident occurrence and severity. Understanding these factors can help to bring forth realistic strategies to improve the safety of these buses. Two disaggregate models related to the time until accident occurrence and the number of accident injuries were specified and estimated. ⋯ Accident severity decreased and the time between two accidents increased when the previous accident was severe. The results seem to indicate that post- and immediate accident history affect the severity of upcoming accidents. Seven recommendations based on these findings are made in an attempt to improve mini-bus safety.