Relationship between traffic fatalities and drunk driving in Japan

OBJECTIVE: The present study was performed to clarify the relation between alcohol use and traffic fatalities in accidents involving motor vehicles in Japan. METHODS: Data on traffic accidents were collected from Fukuoka Prefectural Police records of traffic accidents which occurred in that prefecture between 1987 and 1996. Multiple logistic regression models were used to assess the effect of alcohol use on the risk of traffic-accident death. RESULTS: The data showed that 58,421 male drivers were involved in traffic accidents during the 10-year study period, and that 271 of these were killed as a result of the accident. Alcohol use was significantly associated with speed, seat belt use, time, and road form. Among male motorcar drivers, the odds ratio of alcohol use before driving, after adjusting for age, calendar year, time, and road form, was 4.08 (95% confidence interval, 3.08-5.40), which means that about 75% of fatalities (attributable risk percent among exposed) might have been prevented if drivers had not drunk before driving. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol use before driving resulted in a 4.08-fold increase in the risk of death in a traffic accident. It is suggested that alcohol use is considered an important risk factor for fatality in traffic accidents.     

Society's aggression level as a predictor of traffic fatality rate

This research investigated the relationship of violence/aggression and other societal variables to traffic accidents. In the first of two studies, multiple regression was applied to 1977 data from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Traffic fatalities per registered vehicle was the dependent variable. The independent variables were homicide rate, suicide rate, fatality rate from other causes, unemployment rate, personal income, density of physicians, alcohol consumption, motor vehicles per capita, road mileage per vehicle, sex and age distribution of drivers, and attained education. The main finding was that the homicide rate (but not the suicide rate) predicted the traffic fatality rate; additional significant predictors were the proportion of young drivers and the fatality rate from non-motor-vehicle accidents. The two primary predictors (homicides and young drivers) accounted for 64 % of the variance of traffic fatalities. In the second study, validation was performed by using the 1977 regression coefficients to estimate 1978 traffic fatalities. The results indicate that when the 1977 regression coefficients were applied to the 1978 values for homicides and young drivers, they accounted for 49 % of the variance of the 1978 traffic fatalities. The findings are discussed in terms of how society's violence/aggression may contribute to traffic accidents.     

Alcohol policy and fatal alcohol-related crashes in Finland 2000–2016

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between annual alcohol consumption per capita/alcohol price index and the number of alcohol-related fatal motor vehicle accidents (AFMVAs). We were particularly interested in whether a tax reduction in 2004 increased the number of alcohol-related accidents.

Method: The data consisted of all fatal motor vehicle accidents (FMVAs) during the years 2000–2016 obtained from a database maintained by the Finnish Crash Data Institute (OTI). The data included all fatally injured drivers. We compared the OTI data to official statistics on annual alcohol consumption and the alcohol price index.

Results: There were 3,447 fatally injured drivers, of which 25% (n = 869) were intoxicated (blood alcohol concentration [BAC] ≥ 0.05%). After the reduction of the alcohol tax in 2004, the alcohol consumption rose 12.4% from 2003 to 2005 and AFMVAs rose 38%. There was a strong correlation (r = 0.7000, P < .018) between the recorded consumption of alcohol and the number of AFMVAs. There was a strong negative correlation between AFMVAs and the combined (retail + restaurant sales) alcohol price index (r = ?0.7863, P = .0005). A linear mixed-effects model showed that a 1-L increase in total alcohol consumption per capita per year increases AFMVAs by 10.6 and a one-unit increase in the price index decreases AFMVAs by 1.8 per year.

Conclusions: The correlation between alcohol consumption and alcohol-related crashes should be considered when making political decisions regarding alcohol price and availability. Any further liberalization of the alcohol policy would likely lead to an increase in alcohol-related fatal motor vehicle accidents. Similar consequences are likely to occur with drugs. Alcohol price policy is an effective way to improve road safety, but other measures taken to prevent FMVAs also seem to reduce the prevalence of AFMVAs.     

Effects of Dram Shop,Responsible Beverage Service Training,and State Alcohol Control Laws on Underage Drinking Driver Fatal Crash Ratios

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to determine whether three minimum legal drinking age 21 (MLDA-21) laws—dram shop liability, responsible beverage service (RBS) training, and state control of alcohol sales—have had an impact on underage drinking and driving fatal crashes using annual state-level data, and compared states with strong laws to those with weak laws to examine their effect on beer consumption and fatal crash ratios.

Methods: Using the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, we calculated the ratio of drinking to nondrinking drivers under age 21 involved in fatal crashes as our key outcome measure. We used structural equation modeling to evaluate the three MLDA-21 laws. We controlled for covariates known to impact fatal crashes including: 17 additional MLDA-21 laws; administrative license revocation; blood alcohol concentration limits of.08 and.10 for driving; seat belt laws; sobriety checkpoint frequency; unemployment rates; and vehicle miles traveled. Outcome variables, in addition to the fatal crash ratios of drinking to nondrinking drivers under age 21 included state per capita beer consumption.

Results: Dram shop liability laws were associated with a 2.4% total effect decrease (direct effects: β =.019, p =.018). Similarly, RBS training laws were associated with a 3.6% total effect decrease (direct effect: β =.048, p =.001) in the ratio of drinking to nondrinking drivers under age 21 involved in fatal crashes. There was a significant relationship between dram shop liability law strength and per capita beer consumption, F (4, 1528) = 24.32, p <.001, partial η² =.016, showing states with strong dram shop liability laws (Mean (M) = 1.276) averaging significantly lower per capita beer consumption than states with weak laws (M = 1.340).

Conclusions: Dram shop liability laws and RBS laws were both associated with significantly reduced per capita beer consumption and fatal crash ratios. In practical terms, this means that dram shop liability laws are currently associated with saving an estimated 64 lives in the 45 jurisdictions that currently have the law. If the remaining 6 states adopted the dram shop law, an additional 9 lives could potentially be saved annually. Similarly, RBS training laws are associated with saving an estimated 83 lives in the 37 jurisdictions that currently have the laws. If the remaining 14 states adopted these RBS training laws, we estimate that an additional 28 lives could potentially be saved.     

Factors associated with fatal accident involvement among California drivers

The primary objectives of this study were to examine characteristics of drivers involved in fatal accidents and to determine if those drivers could be distinguished from California's general driving population on the basis of prior driving record. A sample of drivers involved in 1970–1971 fatal accidents was analyzed and compared to a sample of drivers from the general driving population during the same time period. Drivers who had been drinking prior to the accident, who were considered at-fault for the accident, or whose accident occurred at night were found to have worse prior driving records than other fatal accident-involved drivers. The results also indicated that, as a whole, drivers involved in fatal accidents had worse violation and/or accident records, as well as different demographic and license characteristics than drivers in the general population. The classification functions derived to predict fatal accidents, however, did not differ greatly from regression equations that have been constructed to predict total accidents. It was therefore concluded that prediction systems keyed to total accidents will, to a large extent, also identify high-risk fatal accident drivers.     

Driving circumstances and accidents among novice drivers

OBJECTIVE: The study evaluated the accident risk of certain driving circumstances and driving motives among novice drivers. METHODS: Self-reported exposure and accidents according to driving circumstances and driving motives were compared between young (n = 6,847) and middle-aged (n = 942) male and female novice drivers. For young drivers, self-reported accidents were further compared to fatal accidents (n = 645) in terms of the driving conditions in which they occurred. The survey was conducted in 2002 and the questions regarding the quantity and quality of driving exposure and accidents covered the first four years of the novice drivers' driving career after licensing. Data on fatal accidents related to the period of 1990 to 2000. RESULTS: Leisure-time driving, driving just for fun, and driving with passengers and during evenings and at night was more typical for young drivers than for middle-aged drivers. For middle-aged drivers, the most typical driving was driving to or from work. Driving on errands was more typical for females than males. Nighttime driving was overrepresented in young drivers' self-reported and fatal accidents, compared to the share of young drivers' driving at night. Slippery road conditions were over-represented in young male drivers' self-reported accidents, but not in their fatal accidents, whereas for young females slippery road conditions seemed to increase the propensity of fatal accidents. CONCLUSIONS: The study concluded that some driving conditions increase the risk of certain types of accidents among certain driver groups, but not among all drivers. For example, slippery road conditions were overrepresented in young male drivers' minor (self-reported) accidents, but not in their fatal accidents. For young female drivers slippery road conditions seem to increase the propensity of fatal accidents. Driving circumstances are different in minor (self-reported) and fatal accidents. When drawing conclusions regarding accident risk, it is important to determine the seriousness of the accidents which take place.     

109国道宁夏石中段交通事故特性及成因分析

搜集了平原微丘区二级公路109国道宁夏石中段2001—2003年间的道路交通事故资料,分析其交通事故的时间分布、空间分布、肇事驾驶员等分布规律。研究表明:早晚交通高峰小时过后是交通事故高发时段,交通事故月分布规律受季节影响较大,路段交通事故形态中以尾随相撞类事故居多,发生于路段的交通事故数高于交叉口处的交通事故数,驾龄小于4年和年龄18～25岁的驾驶员最容易造成交通事故。进而提出加强交通管理,增设减速震动线等交通安全设施降低主线车速,加强易发交通事故的驾驶员人群的后期培训和教育等防控措施。以期有助于缓解我国二级公路严峻的交通安全形势,增强交通事故预防的科学性。     

Characterization of fatal occupational versus nonoccupational motor vehicle collisions in Kentucky (1998-2000)

Motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) are the leading cause of occupational fatalities in Kentucky as well as in the nation. The characteristics of and contributing factors for occupational versus nonoccupational MVC fatalities in the Commonwealth of Kentucky were examined from 1998 to 2000. Semi trucks were most frequently involved in fatal occupational MVCs, and passenger cars were most frequently involved in nonoccupational MVCs. More than half of the decedent drivers resided outside of Kentucky. The percentage of occupational fatalities occurring on a four-lane highway was double the percentage observed for nonoccupational MVC fatalities. In addition, an increased proportion of occupational MVC deaths occurred on limited access highways compared to nonoccupational fatalities. When human factors contributing to these fatal incidents were examined, the two primary human factors involved in occupational motor vehicle fatalities were driver distraction/inattention and falling asleep, whereas unsafe speed and alcohol were the primary human factors contributing to a nonoccupational fatality. These results suggest that semi drivers traveling on four-lane highways are more at risk for a fatal occupational injury in Kentucky. Therefore, additional epidemiological studies are needed to further examine human factors, the nature of the Kentucky highway system, and trucking controls (e.g., weigh station hours of operation) within the Kentucky transportation industry.     

Regional economic conditions and crash fatality rates--a cross-county analysis

INTRODUCTION: Most studies that evaluate the relationship between economic conditions and traffic fatalities focus on the time-series relationship between the two factors. This analysis considers the cross-sectional perspective by estimating the cross-county correlation between per capita income and fatalities per vehicle mile traveled (VMT) in Ohio. METHOD: The empirical model employed in this analysis allows for interaction effects between per capita income and highway usage, in the determination of fatality rates. RESULTS: The resultant least squares estimates indicate that a significant interaction effect exists between per capita income and the percentage of highway VMT, indicating a nonlinear correlation between per capita income and fatality rates. This correlation rises as the proportion of VMT on highways rises, such that there is an inverse relationship with fatality rates when the highway share of county VMT is low and a direct relationship with fatality rates when the highway share of county VMT is high. Additionally, population density, the presence of interstate highways in rural counties, the prior prevalence of severe alcohol abuse, and the proportion of teen drivers all proved to be significant correlates with county fatality rates. CONCLUSIONS: These observations suggest factors that state and federal policy makers should consider when allocating resources that impact (whether directly or indirectly) traffic fatalities.     

Accident rates of drivers with bioptic telescopic lenses

The major purpose of this study was to determine the accident rate of drivers with bioptic telescopic lenses (“bioptic drivers”) in California. The bioptic driver group consisted of 229 drivers, while a randomly selected comparison sample consisted of 21,064 drivers. The 2-year total and fatal/injury accident rates of the bioptic group were normalized to the age/sex distribution of the comparison sample. Normalized accident rates for bioptic drivers were significantly greater than the corresponding rates for comparison drivers. The study also included an analysis of the driving records of bioptic drivers prior and subsequent to acquisition of telescopic lenses and an analysis of total and fatal/injury accidents for bioptic and comparison drivers with valid licenses only. It was recommended that California continue to license bioptic drivers, but with greater use of license restrictions and more stringent post-licensing control.     

Survival risk factors for fatal injured car and motorcycle drivers in single alcohol-related and alcohol-unrelated vehicle crashes

Introduction

A high percentage of drivers who die as a result of a single vehicle crash are under the influence of alcohol. We aimed to better understand the prevalence of these fatalities and the ratio of death to injuries based on various risk factors. We focused on alcohol-related and -unrelated single-vehicle crashes to investigate the influence of such risk factors on the time until death for car and motorcycle drivers.

Methods

We combined data from national police reports and a vital registration database in Taiwan. Survival analysis using Cox regression models was used to identify the risk factors of time until death.

Results

Overall, nearly 60% of car driver fatalities and 40% of motorcycle driver fatalities involved the consumption of alcohol. Survival analysis of single-vehicle crashes suggested that the traffic island separation between a car moving at a higher speed and motorcycle traffic resulted in a higher risk of death over time for motorcycle drivers who consumed alcohol. The factors attributed to a higher risk of death over time for motorcycle drivers were older age, crashing into trees, night-time driving, driving on curved roads, and driving on local roads. Driving without restraints and driving on roads with higher speed limits attributed to a higher risk of death over time for car drivers.

Conclusions

The factors that influence the risk of death over time in a motor-vehicle accident involving alcohol depended on different elements, which should each be considered when attempting to reduce this risk.

Impact on Industry

More efforts should be made to investigate the various risk factors in areas with large motorcycle populations.     

Validity of police-reported alcohol involvement in fatal motor carrier crashes in the United States between 1982 and 2005

Objective

To examine the validity of police-reported alcohol data for drivers involved in fatal motor carrier crashes.

Material and Methods

We determined the availability of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and police-reported alcohol data on 157,702 drivers involved in fatal motor carrier crashes between 1982 - 2005 using Fatality Analysis and Reporting System (FARS) data. Drivers were categorized as motor carrier drivers if they operated a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of greater than 26,000 pounds. Otherwise, they were classified as non motor carrier drivers. The sensitivity and specificity of police-reported alcohol involvement were estimated for both driver types.

Results

Of the 157,702 drivers, 18% had no alcohol information, 15% had BAC results, 42% had police-reported alcohol data, and 25% had both. Alcohol information varied significantly by driver, crash, and vehicle characteristics. For example, motor carrier drivers were significantly more likely (51%) to have BAC testing results compared to non motor carrier drivers (31%) (p < 0.001). The sensitivity of police-reported alcohol involvement for a BAC level ≥ 0.08 was 83% (95% CI 79%, 86%) for motor carrier drivers and 90% (95% CI 89%, 90%) for non motor carrier drivers. The specificity rates were 96% (95% CI 95%, 96%) and 91% (95% CI 90%, 91%), respectively.

Conclusions

The sensitivity and specificity of police-reported alcohol involvement are reasonably high for drivers involved in fatal motor carrier crashes. Further research is needed to determine the extent to which the accuracy of police-reported alcohol involvement may be overestimated because of verification bias.

Impact on the Industry

Based on the results of this study, the federal government should continue to work with states to strengthen their strategies to increase chemical testing of all drivers involved in fatal crashes.     

Surrogate measures of alcohol involvement in fatal crashes: Are conventional indicators adequate?

The problem of alcohol-related highway fatalities has led a majority of states to enact new legislative countermeasures. Because few states consistently collect information on alcohol involvement in fatal crashes, the evaluation of the effectiveness of these countermeasures has relied on surrogate measures of alcohol involvement. Using data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS), this study addresses the following questions: (a) Which of the several surrogate measures used are most likely to reflect alcohol involvement in fatal crashes? and (b) Do the trends in these surrogate measures provide an accurate appraisal of the true trends in alcohol-involved fatal crashes? The authors conclude that nighttime fatal crashes are the best surrogate measure of alcohol-involved crashes, but that surrogate measures may not accurately mirror trends in alcohol-involved fatal crashes over time, particularly in small states or over short durations. All drivers in fatal crashes should be given blood alcohol level (BAL) tests to most accurately assess the effects of drunk driving countermeasures.     

Diseases and motor vehicle fatalities in Finland in 2001 and 2002

OBJECTIVES: The possible connection between diseases among drivers and traffic accidents was examined for traffic safety purposes. METHODS: We studied medical conditions of drivers and passengers in all motor vehicle crashes with fatalities in Finland in 2001 and 2002 by using reports of road accident investigation teams, including autopsy reports. We analyzed a total of 542 crashes with 640 fatalities. Findings were also compared with available epidemiological data in Finland. RESULTS: An insignificant difference in the number of reported diseases was present between the different parties involved in crashes. However, among killed key drivers, so-called A-parties, psychiatric diseases, especially alcoholism, depression, and unspecific mental disorders, were diagnosed more often than in the groups of other drivers or passengers. In addition, A-parties were reported to more frequently suffer from cerebral arteriosclerosis and arterial hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: Drivers' diseases can be a risk factor for traffic accidents. Fitness to drive should therefore be considered in medical practice, particularly in patients with alcoholism and other psychiatric disorders.     

The effect of raising the legal minimum drinking age on fatal crashes in 10 states

Raising the legal minimum drinking age in 10 states reduced the fatal motor-vehicle accident involvement rate of licensed drivers affected by the law changes. The ratio of single-vehicle nighttime fatalities per 1,000 licensed drivers decreased significantly among drivers in the age group affected by the law, whereas no significant change in ratio was found among drivers in a com- parison group aged 25 to 29 years. Further, the before-after changes in ratios for drivers in the affected age group were significantly greater than the changes for drivers in the comparison group. The single-vehicle nighttime fatal crash involvement rate of drivers affected by the law change decreased an average of 21 % in the 10 states.     

基于元胞自动机的人因追尾事故仿真研究

人为因素已经成为导致交通事故发生的关键因素之一,而车辆追尾碰撞是公路上最常见、危害最大的一类事故.本文将驾驶员的心理细分为放松、谨慎和紧张三种状态,设计了状态切换规则以及不同状态下驾驶员的行为规则,建立了一种公路人因追尾事故的元胞自动机仿真模型.随后通过仿真实验研究了交通流参数以及驾驶员驾驶特性对追尾事故发生率的影响,仿真结果表明随着车辆最大允许速度和车辆密度的增加,追尾事故发生率显著上升;跟驰状态下驾驶员的反应延迟与差错率对事故率影响最大,而紧急情况下驾驶员的人为因素对事故率没有显著影响.研究结果对交通中人因事故发生机理研究及人因事故的预防有一定参考价值.     

The effect of age and gender on motor vehicle driver injury severity at highway-rail grade crossings in the United States

IntroductionBased on the Federal Railway Administration (FRA) database, there were 25,945 highway-rail crossing accidents in the United States between 2002 and 2011. With an extensive database of highway-rail grade crossing accidents in the United States from 2002 to 2011, estimation results showed that there were substantial differences across age/gender groups for driver's injury severity.MethodThe study applied an ordered probit model to explore the determinants of driver injury severity for motor vehicle drivers at highway-rail grade crossings.ResultsThe analysis found that there are important behavioral and physical differences between male and female drivers given a highway-rail grade crossing accident happened.Practical applicationsOlder drivers have higher fatality probabilities when driving in open space under passive control especially during bad weather condition. Younger male drivers are found to be more likely to have severe injuries at rush hour with high vehicle speed passing unpaved highway-rail grade crossings under passive control. Synthesizing these results led to the conclusion that the primary problem with young is risk-taking and lack of vehicle handling skills. The strength of older drivers lies in their aversion to risk, but physical degradation issues which result in longer reaction/perception times and degradation in vision and hearing often counterbalance this attribute.     

Situational characteristics of fatal pedestrian accidents involving vehicles traveling at low speeds in Japan

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the situational characteristics of fatal pedestrian accidents involving vehicles traveling at low speeds in Japan. We focused on vehicles with 4 or more wheels. Such characteristics included daytime or nighttime conditions, road type, vehicle behaviors preceding the accident, and vehicle impact locations.

Methods: Pedestrian fatality data on vehicle–pedestrian accidents were obtained from the Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis of Japan (ITARDA) from 2005 to 2014. Nine vehicle classifications were considered: Trucks with gross vehicle weight (GVW) ≥7.5 tons and <7.5 tons, buses, box vans, minivans, sport utility vehicles (SUVs), sedans, light passenger cars (LPCs), and light cargo vans (LCVs). We compared the situational daytime or nighttime conditions, road type, vehicle behaviors preceding the accident, and vehicle impact locations for accident-involved vehicles traveling at low and higher speeds across all vehicle types.

Results: The results indicate that pedestrian fatalities involving vehicles traveling at low speeds occurred more often under daytime conditions across all vehicle types. At signalized intersections, the relative proportions of pedestrian fatalities were significantly higher when vehicles were traveling at low speed, except when the accidents involved box vans or SUVs. Similarly, when vehicles turned right, the relative proportions of pedestrian fatalities were significantly higher when vehicles traveling at low speed were involved across all vehicle types. In terms of the frontal right vehicle impact location, the relative proportions of pedestrian fatalities were significantly higher when trucks with GVW ≥7.5 tons or <7.5 tons, sedans, or LCVs traveling at low speed were involved.

Conclusions: The situational characteristics of fatal pedestrian accidents involving vehicles traveling at low speeds identified in this study can guide targeted development of new traffic safety regulations or technologies specific to vehicle–pedestrian interactions at low vehicle travel speeds (i.e., driver alert devices or automated emergency braking systems). Ultimately, these developments can improve pedestrian safety by reducing the frequency or severity of vehicle–pedestrian accidents for vehicles turning right at intersections and/or reducing the number of resultant pedestrian fatalities.     

Differences in relative risks for fatal occupational highway transportation accidents

Problem and Method: This study examined the trends in the relative risks for being involved in fatal occupational highway transportation accidents based upon the age and gender of the victim. Results: Significant differences in relative risks were identified based upon age; however, there were no significant differences in relative risks based upon gender. The trend analysis of relative risks for all motor-vehicle accidents based upon age showed that males exhibited a significant cubic trend while females exhibited a significant linear trend. The trend analysis of relative risks for fatal motor-vehicle accidents specifically involving vehicle operators based upon age yielded a significant quadratic trend for males and no significant trends for females. Examining the relative risks for fatalities involving only motor-vehicle operators controlled, to a certain extent, the differences in job exposure to motor-vehicle accidents based upon age. Impact: Prevention measures are identified as most crucial for older male workers in the transportation and agriculture industries.