Accident; analysis and prevention
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There is evidence that excessive speed leads to an increased frequency and severity of road traffic accidents, but it is not clear how speeds may be reduced. To increase understanding of why drivers exceed the speed limits, the views of a sample of road users who had been prosecuted for exceeding the speed limit in the rural county of Norfolk England were sought. Respondents were categorised into a four group driver typology comprising conformers (those who report they never exceed limits) deterred drivers (those put off speeding by the presence of cameras), manipulators (those who slow only at camera locations) and defiers (those who exceed limits regardless of cameras), and the consistency of opinions was compared between the groups. ⋯ Manipulators often acknowledged that their style of driving was dangerous; however, they failed to link this to their own behaviour. It was evident that many defiers and manipulators did not perceive speeding as a serious traffic law violation. Possible implications for road safety initiatives are discussed and recommendations are given for specifically targeting different driver types.
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This study reports on trends in spinal cord injury based on the Australian Spinal Cord Injury Register (ASCIR), which provided full coverage in those aged 15 years and over. The underlying annual rate of change from 1986 to 1997 was calculated for age-specific, crude and age-standardised incidence rates. An appropriate model for this type of data was the Poisson regression model, with a Poisson error distribution, a log link function and the natural log of population treated as an 'offset'. ⋯ Sport utility vehicles pose an increased concern. In order to reinvigorate the debate about the need for a vehicle rollover resistance rating in Australia, the spinal cord injury risk of different models of SUV should be measured. This has already been implemented in the United States, providing the public with information to assist purchasing based on safety considerations.
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The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of California's bicycle helmet law on bicycle-related head injuries in San Diego County with a year 2000 population of approximately 3 million people. The study design is an ecological trend design based on observational data from a Trauma Registry. Outcome measures include helmet use compliance, site/severity of injury and abbreviated injury scale (AIS). ⋯ Helmet legislation increased helmet use in the targeted child population and the effect was carried over to the adult population. Helmet use has a protective effect against serious head injury. Probably due to several of its limitations, the current study did not confirm that helmet legislation alone significantly reduced head injury rates in San Diego County during the study period.
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A logistic regression model was used in the prediction of injury severity for individuals who are involved in a vehicular crash. The model identified females and older occupants (segmented by age 55-74, and 75 and older) as having a significantly higher risk of severe injuries in a crash. Further, interactions of older females with other factors, such as occupant seat position, crash type, and environmental factors were also shown to significantly impact the relative risk of a severe injury. ⋯ Among occupants of light trucks, sport utility vehicles and vans, older females were less likely than others to be severely injured. In this case, older females appear better off in vehicles which are larger and protect better in severe crashes. This research demonstrates that circumstances surrounding a crash greatly impact the severity of injuries sustained by older female occupants.
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Unobtrusive video camera units were installed in the vehicles of 70 volunteer drivers over 1-week time periods to study drivers' exposure to distractions. The video data were coded based on a detailed taxonomy of driver distractions along with important contextual variables and driving performance measures. ⋯ Distractions were frequently associated with decreased driving performance, as measured by higher levels of no hands on the steering wheel, eyes directed inside rather than outside the vehicle, and lane wanderings or encroachments. Naturalistic driving studies can provide a useful supplement to more controlled laboratory and field studies to further our understanding of the effects of all types of distractions on driving safety.