Accident; analysis and prevention
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In Sweden, a written and a driving test must be passed for licensure, and these two examinations are the only means of verifying that learner drivers have acquired the competencies stipulated in the national curriculum. The present study investigated 18-24-year olds regarding the effects of personal background and mode of driver education instruction on the outcome of the driving test. ⋯ The rate of passing was higher for those who started behind-the-wheel training at 16 and applied to take the driving test via a driving school, than for those who started the training at an older age and applied to take the test in person. It was also found that the probability of passing the test was greater if there is successful cooperation between learner and driving school instructor, and if a large proportion of the training been devoted to the task speed adaptation.
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Debate continues over bicycle helmet laws. Proponents argue that case-control studies of voluntary wearing show helmets reduce head injuries. Opponents argue, even when legislation substantially increased percent helmet wearing, there was no obvious response in percentages of cyclist hospital admissions with head injury-trends for cyclists were virtually identical to those of other road users. ⋯ Analyses of other road safety measures, e.g. reducing speeding and drink-driving or treating accident blackspots, often show that benefits are significantly greater than costs. Assuming all parties agree that helmet laws should not be implemented unless benefits exceed costs, agreement is needed on how to derive monetary values for the consequences of helmet laws, including changes in injury rates, cycle-use and enjoyment of cycling. Suggestions are made concerning the data and methodology needed to help clarify the issue, e.g. relating pre- and post-law surveys of cycle use to numbers with head and other injuries and ensuring that trends are not confused with effects of increased helmet wearing.
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Reducing driver speed has an essential role to play in traffic safety. This study measured the effect of a roadside sign, in a 50 km/h zone, that consecutively displayed one of three messages: The average speed at the site: this message was designed to induce "social comparison" whereby drivers may reduce their speed in order to comply with the behaviour of the majority. A warning that drivers' speeds were being measured: this was intended to imply surveillance whereby drivers may reduce speed in order to avoid possible enforcement action. ⋯ The proportion of drivers travelling 60 km/h or less increased with all three messages, suggesting that both social comparison and implied surveillance are mechanisms by which driver speed may be reduced. However, the speed reductions were not as great as in previous studies of feedback signs. This may be due to differences in the existing safety culture.
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The purpose of this research was to determine occupant, vehicle, and crash characteristics predicting serious injury during rollover crashes. We compared 27 case occupants with serious or greater severity injuries with 606 control occupants without injury or with only minor or moderate injury. Odds ratios (OR) for individual variables and logistic regression were used to identify predictive variables for serious injury associated with rollovers. ⋯ Even when safety belt use or proper use was controlled for, occupants with greater magnitude of intrusion at their seat position were about 10 times more likely to receive serious injury. Although prevention of rollover crashes is the ultimate goal, it is important to develop safer vehicles and safety systems to better protect occupants who are involved in rollover crashes. This also requires improvement in data collection systems documenting these types of crashes.
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Police crash data, which are the basis for safety research in most countries, are incomplete and biased. We focus here on the extent of under-reporting in France, and how it is related to casualty and crash characteristics. ⋯ Any study based on police crash data may be quite misleading. We are therefore working on obtaining unbiased estimates of road casualties figures, by extrapolating the Rhône road trauma registry to the nation-wide level.