The impact of environmental, vehicle and driver characteristics on injury severity in older drivers hospitalized as a result of a traffic crash

INTRODUCTION: Compared to younger age groups, older people are more likely to be seriously injured or to die as a result of a traffic crash. METHOD: The aim of the study is to examine the impact of environmental, vehicle, crash, and driver characteristics on injury severity in older drivers involved in traffic crashes by using recently linked police crash records and hospitalization data from New South Wales, Australia. The severity of injury resulting from traffic crashes was measured using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10) Injury Severity Score (ICISS). RESULTS: Multivariate analysis identified rurality, presence of complex intersections, road speed limit, driver error, speeding, and seat belt use as independent predictors of injury severity in older people. The type of intersection configuration explained over half of the observed variations in injury severity. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Environmental modification such as intersection treatments might contribute to a decrease in the severity of injury in older people involved in road crashes.     

Geo-spatial and log-linear analysis of pedestrian and bicyclist crashes involving school-aged children

PROBLEM: There is a growing concern with the safety of school-aged children. This study identifies the locations of pedestrian/bicyclist crashes involving school-aged children and examines the conditions when these crashes are more likely to occur. METHOD: The 5-year records of crashes in Orange County, Florida where school-aged children were involved were used. The spatial distribution of these crashes was investigated using the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the likelihoods of crash occurrence under different conditions were estimated using log-linear models. RESULTS: A majority of school-aged children crashes occurred in the areas near schools. Although elementary school children were generally very involved, middle and high school children were more involved in crashes, particularly on high-speed multi-lane roadways. Driver's age, gender, and alcohol use, pedestrian's/bicyclist's age, number of lanes, median type, speed limits, and speed ratio were also found to be correlated with the frequency of crashes. DISCUSSION: The result confirms that school-aged children are exposed to high crash risk near schools. High crash involvement of middle and high school children reflects that middle and high schools tend to be located near multi-lane high-speed roads. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: The pedestrian's/bicyclist's demographic factors and geometric characteristics of the roads adjacent to schools associated with school children's crash involvement are of interest to school districts.     

Antilock Brake Systems and Risk of Different Types of Crashes in Traffic

While antilock braking systems (ABS) have been convincingly demonstrated to enhance test track braking performance, their effect on crash risk in actual driving remains less clear. This paper examines how ABS influences crash risk using mainly two published studies which used police-reported crashes. The published findings are augmented by including new data and additional results. All the work is based on seven General Motors (GM) passenger vehicles having ABS as standard equipment for 1992 models but not available for 1991 models. The ratio of crashes under an adverse condition (say, when the pavement is wet) to under a normal condition (say, when the pavement is dry) is compared for ABS and non-ABS vehicles. After correcting for such factors as model year effects not linked to ABS, the following associations between ABS and crash risk were found by averaging data from the five states Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Indiana (the errors are one standard error): a (10 ± 3)% relative lower crash risk on wet roads compared to the corresponding comparison on dry roads; a (22 ± 11)% lower risk of a pedestrian crash compared to the risk of a non-pedestrian crash; a (39 ± 16)% increase in rollover crash risk compared to the risk of a non-rollover crash. Data from the same Ave states were used to examine two-vehicle rear-end collisions. Using the assumption that side-impact crashes estimate exposure, it was found that for wet roads ABS reduces the risk of crashing into a lead vehicle by (32 ± 8)%, but increases the risk of being struck in the rear by (30 ± 14)%. The results from this study and from all available reported studies are summarized in tabular form.     

Efficacy of wipers-on, headlamps-on legislation

Empirical evidence for the benefit of so-called wipers-on, headlamps-on legislation, requiring drivers to use vehicle headlamps when windshield wipers are on, is nonexistent. An evaluation of fatal, multi-vehicle crashes during daytime and nighttime in clear and rainy weather was made, for states in the US that have recently enacted such legislation, and for which crash data are available. Results indicate a statistically reliable reduction in the incidence of fatal, multi-vehicle crashes during daytime in these states relative to nighttime, when headlamp use would not be expected to differ before and after enactment of wipers-on, headlamps-on legislation.     

Drowsy drivers: The effect of light and circadian rhythm on crash occurrence

Drowsiness has been recognized as a pervasive problem for drivers, with effects comparable to alcohol. Alcohol, however, has a clear legal limit for impairment; there are no comparable criteria to suggest sleepiness. Drowsiness has been associated with light and circadian rhythm. To investigate the joint effects of these factors on crash occurrence, along with other factors, single vehicle crashes reported in Ontario (1999–2004) were analyzed. Crashes occurring at four times of day, when light varies and circadian rhythm is low (2–5 a.m. and 2–4 p.m.) and with similar light conditions and higher circadian rhythm (9–11 p.m. and 10 a.m.–12 noon). Logistic regression was used to see how light and other factors are associated with single vehicle crashes occurring at times of low circadian rhythm, when drowsiness is more likely.Initial results indicated many circumstances associated with occurrence at these times: the age and sex of the driver and reported driver condition as well as weather. There is, however, an interaction between light and presumed alertness. In separate analyses for daytime and night time crashes most variables were significant for nighttime crashes but not for daytime events. The effects of alcohol and youth remained. A lack of light may exacerbate the effects of other factors at times of low alertness; this should be further investigated in controlled environments such as sleep laboratories and/or driving simulators.     

Body-pillar vision obstructions and lane-change crashes

INTRODUCTION: This exploratory study investigated the relationship between vision obstructions from body pillars and lane-change crashes. METHODS: The vision obstructions were quantified by measuring, from the driver's perspective, the horizontal angular sizes and locations of the driver-side A-, B-, and C-pillars. The sample consisted of 21 vehicle models, including 13 passenger cars, 6 SUVs, 1 minivan, and 1 pickup truck. To control for driver differences, going-straight crashes were used for comparison, with the dependent variable being the ratio of lane-change crashes to going-straight crashes. The analysis used North Carolina crash data. RESULTS: The results of a multiple regression indicate that the relative frequency of lane-change crashes tended to increase with both wider A-pillars and with A-pillars located farther away from straight ahead. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: The finding supports the hypothesis that visibility obstructions due to A-pillars have safety implications.     

Views of US drivers about driving safety

Problem: To assess how drivers view dangers on the highway, what motivates them to drive safely, how they say they reduce their crash and injury risk, and how they rate their own driving skills. Results: Most drivers rated their skills as better than average. The biggest motivating factor for safe driving was concern for safety of others in their vehicle, followed by negative outcomes such as being in a crash, increased insurance costs, and fines. The greatest threats to their safety were thought to be other drivers' actions that increase crash risk such as alcohol impairment or running red lights. In terms of reducing crashes and injuries, drivers tended to focus on actions they could take such as driving defensively or using seat belts. There was less recognition of the role of vehicles and vehicle features in crash or injury prevention. Impact on research, practice, and policy: Knowing how drivers view themselves and others, their concerns, and their motivations and techniques for staying out of trouble on the roads provides insight into the difficulty of changing driving practices.     

Fatal motorcycle crashes in wide urban area of Zagreb,Croatia—A 10-year review

Objective: The objective of our study was to determine the prevalence of alcohol and drug intoxication among fatally injured motorcyclists in a wide urban area of Zagreb, Croatia.

Methods: We conducted a single-center observational retrospective study over a 10-year period (2007–2016) in 3 counties covering an area including 1.2 million residents. We reviewed the records on fatally injured motorcyclists, collecting information relating to sex, age, cause of death, time of death in relation to the time of the crash, and the circumstances of the crash (time of day, day of the week, season). Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and toxicology analysis results were collected and analyzed.

Results: We identified 163 deaths (95.7% males, 4.3% females). Overall, 64.2% of the victims were 20 to 39 years old. The majority (50.9%) of those fatally injured were responsible for causing the traffic crash; the rest were determined not to be responsible or the responsibility could not be determined. The most frequent causes of death were multiple injuries (55.8%) and isolated head trauma (23.3%). The rider’s BAC was above the legal limit for driving (>0.50?g/kg) in 53.8% of cases, with a mean BAC of 1.91?g/kg. There was no difference in riding a motorcycle with a BAC above the legal limit between groups defined as younger (≤39 years of age) and older (≥40 years of age). The number of people with an illegal BAC was significantly higher during weekends than during the work week. The BAC of riders who were responsible for the crash was significantly higher than that of those who were not responsible or whose responsibility could not be determined. Use of illegal drugs or nontherapeutic use of legal drugs was not common and was detected in 10.4% of fatally injured riders.

Conclusions: Alcohol intoxication has a major role in motorcycle crash–related mortality. A significant difference in BAC between fatally injured riders responsible for the accident and those who were not responsible implies that measures directed toward prevention of drinking and driving behavior could lower the number of fatal motorcycle crashes. Weekend measures, especially during spring and summer, could have particularly significant effects.     

Prediction of vehicle crashes by drivers' characteristics and past traffic violations in Korea using a zero-inflated negative binomial model

Aims: Traffic safety is a significant public health challenge, and vehicle crashes account for the majority of injuries. This study aims to identify whether drivers' characteristics and past traffic violations may predict vehicle crashes in Korea.

Methods: A total of 500,000 drivers were randomly selected from the 11.6 million driver records of the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs in Korea. Records of traffic crashes were obtained from the archives of the Korea Insurance Development Institute. After matching the past violation history for the period 2004–2005 with the number of crashes in year 2006, a total of 488,139 observations were used for the analysis. Zero-inflated negative binomial model was used to determine the incident risk ratio (IRR) of vehicle crashes by past violations of individual drivers. The included covariates were driver's age, gender, district of residence, vehicle choice, and driving experience.

Results: Drivers violating (1) a hit-and-run or drunk driving regulation at least once and (2) a signal, central line, or speed regulation more than once had a higher risk of a vehicle crash with respective IRRs of 1.06 and 1.15. Furthermore, female gender, a younger age, fewer years of driving experience, and middle-sized vehicles were all significantly associated with a higher likelihood of vehicle crashes.

Conclusions: Drivers' demographic characteristics and past traffic violations could predict vehicle crashes in Korea. Greater resources should be assigned to the provision of traffic safety education programs for the high-risk driver groups.     

SAFEST TO TRAVEL BY BICYCLE,CAR, OR BIG TRUCK?

This study compares highway crash incidence, injuries, and costs by vehicle type. Annual crash and injury incidence were estimated using Crashworthiness Data System (1988-1991), National Automotive Sampling System (1982-1986), General Estimates System (1992-1993), and Fatal Analysis Reporting System (1993) data. Costs were computed based on restraint use, body region, and threat-to-life severity of the injury. Costs were then allocated between vehicle types using three different methods in order to answer comparative safety questions. Motor vehicle and bicycle crash costs total $389 billion annually; 75% resulting from passenger vehicles. Motorcycles and bicycles have the highest costs per 1000 vehicle and passenger miles; costs per victim are highest for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists. Costs per vehicle mile for heavy trucks and passenger cars are comparable but exceed costs for light trucks. Passenger vehicle occupants are safest if a crash occurs. Light truck, other single truck, and bus occupants have the lowest cost per passenger mile, but higher costs than air and rail travelers. Motorcyclists face the greatest risks. Combination trucks may not impose an excess risk to other drivers, but their drivers face large risks.     

Some determinants of possible injuries in crashes at signalized intersections

INTRODUCTION: This paper identifies some determinants of possible injuries from crashes that occur at signalized intersections using a conditional probability model. METHOD: It uses longitudinal data for one city and calculates the marginal effects of these determinants. RESULTS: Among its findings, an airbag deploying in a crash reduces the conditional probability of sustaining possible injury. The size of this decrease is similar for the front airbag or both side airbags deploying. When crashes occur because a driver suddenly falls ill, or because a driver has an existing medical condition that flares up, the results show that the conditional probability of sustaining possible injury increases by 0.1414 and 0.1217, respectively. In comparison the conditional probability of sustaining possible injury increases by 0.0706 when the crash is because of impairment from drugs or alcohol. Additionally, the probability of sustaining possible injury in the event of a crash is 0.0435 and 0.0459 higher in passenger cars and vans respectively than in other vehicles. CONCLUSIONS: Comparing these results to those in the traffic safety literature, the marginal effects from national data are similar to those from local level data.