The association of light trucks and vans with paediatric pedestrian deaths

The hypothesis that relative to cars, light trucks and vans (including sports utility vehicles) are more likely to result in fatal paediatric pedestrian injury was investigated. It was further hypothesized that this increased risk is a result of head injuries. The study sample consisted of 18 117 police records of motor vehicles involved in crashes in which one or more pedestrians aged 5 to 19 years old was injured or killed. Frequencies and case fatality ratios for each vehicle body type were calculated. A logistic regression analysis was conducted, with light truck or van vs. car as the exposure variable and fatal/non-fatal pedestrian injury as the outcome variable. After controlling for driver age, driver gender, vehicle weight, road surface condition and presence of head injury, 5 to 19 year-olds struck by light trucks or vans were more than twice as likely to die than those struck by cars (odds ratio (OR) 2.3; 95% CI 1.4, 3.9). For the 5 to 9 year-old age group, light trucks and vans were four times as likely to be associated with fatal injury (OR 4.2; 95% CI 1.9, 9.5). There was an association between head injury and light trucks and vans (OR 1.2; 95% CI 1.1, 1.3). It was concluded that vehicle body type characteristics play an important role in paediatric pedestrian injury severity and may offer engineering-based opportunities for injury control.     

Fatality rate of pedestrians and fatal crash involvement rate of drivers in pedestrian crashes: a case study of Iran

The aim of this study was to uncover patterns of pedestrian crashes. In the first stage, 34,178 pedestrian-involved crashes occurred in Iran during a four-year period were grouped into homogeneous clusters using a clustering analysis. Next, some in-cluster and inter-cluster crash patterns were analysed. The clustering analysis yielded six pedestrian crash groups. Car/van/pickup crashes on rural roads as well as heavy vehicle crashes were found to be less frequent but more likely to be fatal compared to other crash clusters. In addition, after controlling for crash frequency in each cluster, it was found that the fatality rate of each pedestrian age group as well as the fatal crash involvement rate of each driver age group varies across the six clusters. Results of present study has some policy implications including, promoting pedestrian safety training sessions for heavy vehicle drivers, imposing limitations over elderly heavy vehicle drivers, reinforcing penalties toward under 19 drivers and motorcyclists. In addition, road safety campaigns in rural areas may be promoted to inform people about the higher fatality rate of pedestrians on rural roads. The crash patterns uncovered in this study might also be useful for prioritizing future pedestrian safety research areas.     

Underreporting,crash severity and fault assignment of minor crashes in China – a study based on self-reported surveys

Unreported minor crashes have importance as a surrogate for more serious crashes that require infrastructure, education, and enforcement strategies; and they still inflict damages. To study factors that influence underreporting, cause, and severity of minor crashes; a survey was performed in Kunming and Beijing to collect self-reported personal characteristics and crash history data of the three major urban road users in China: automobile drivers, bicycle riders and electric bike (e-bike) riders. Underreporting rates of automobile to automobile, automobile to non-motorized vehicle, and non-motorized vehicle to non-motorized vehicle crashes are 56%, 77% and 94%, respectively. Minor crashes with higher reported injury severity levels are more likely to be reported. E-bike riders without a driver's license are more likely to cause crashes. Licensing and education could be an effective way to reduce their crashes. The party that is not at fault in a crash is more likely to sustain high level of injury.     

Severity of alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes in British Columbia: case - control study

The objective of the present study was to compare the injury severity and vehicle damage severity rates of alcohol-related crashes with rates of non-alcohol-related crashes in British Columbia (BC). Injury severity rates and vehicle damage severity rates were taken from 2002 Insurance Corporation of British Columbia traffic collision data. The data were computed in order to compare the differences in injury severity and vehicle damage severity rates of alcohol-related vs. non-alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes. Case - control methods were used in this study to analyse the risk of alcohol-related crashes compared to non-alcohol-related crashes in BC. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% CI were calculated to estimate relative risks. In the case - control analysis, the risk of fatal collision was increased for those drinking and driving compared with those driving sober (OR 4.70; 95% CI 3.15 - 7.01). Risk of injury collision was increased for those drinking and driving compared with those driving sober (OR 1.32; 95% CI 1.19 - 1.37). Importantly, the risk of vehicle damage severity was increased for those drinking and driving compared with those driving sober (write-off vehicle OR 4.24; 95% CI 3.70 - 4.86, severely damaged vehicles OR 1.98; 95% CI 1.77 - 2.21). The study reinforces existing literature to suggest that current evidence is sufficient to show an increased risk of injury and fatality to drivers and occupants in alcohol-related crashes. This paper not only emphasizes this well-known relationship, but also such consequences as increased vehicle damage severity. The connection between drinking and severity of motor vehicle crashes is popularly believed and has now received substantial scientific support. There is strong justification for injury prevention experts and policy-makers to step up motor vehicle crash injury prevention advocacy by implementing evidence-based policies to reduce rates of alcohol-impaired driving in the province of BC. Most unintentional injuries in BC are related to motor vehicle crashes. Significant improvements can be made in these statistics by: increasing the use of occupant protection (safety belt and child restraint seats); reducing alcohol-related injuries through multiple strategies including corrections in the physical environment, extensive enforcement of drinking and driving laws and health promotion/education.     

Fatal and serious road crashes involving young New Zealand drivers: a latent class clustering approach

The over-representation of young drivers in road crashes remains an important concern worldwide. Cluster analysis has been applied to young driver sub-groups, but its application by analysing crash occurrence is just emerging. We present a classification analysis that advances the field through a holistic overview of crash patterns useful for designing youth-targeted road safety programmes. We compiled a database of 8644 New Zealand crashes from 2002 to 2011 involving at least one 15–24-year-old driver and a fatal or serious injury for at least one road user. We considered crash location, infrastructure characteristics, environmental conditions, demographic characteristics, driving behaviour, and pre-crash manoeuvres. The analysis yielded 15 and 8 latent classes of, respectively, single-vehicle and multi-vehicle crashes, and average posterior probabilities measured the odds of correct classification that revealed how the identified clusters contain mostly crashes of a particular class and all the crashes of that class. The results raised three major safety concerns for young drivers that should be addressed: (1) reckless driving and traffic law violations; (2) inattention, error, and hazard perception problems; and (3) interaction with road geometry and lighting conditions, especially on high-speed open roads and state highways.     

Gender and age distribution of motorcycle crashes in Spain

This study analysed motorcycle crashes in Spain. Ninety-nine thousand three hundred and four motorcycle crash reports filed in the years 2006–2011 were extracted from the Directorate General of Traffic database of crashes with victims. These data were analysed in terms of gender, age groups, trip purpose, type of crash, speed violation, day of the week, harm caused, use of helmet and psychophysical conditions of the driver to study the characteristics of motorcycle crashes in Spain and to assess the differences between male and female motorcycle drivers in these crashes. Significant differences were found in all the variables considered in the study, which implies gender differences in the profile of the injured motorcycle driver. The severity of motorcycle crashes suffered by male drivers is higher than that of women. These results corroborate the need to develop measures differentiated by gender, based on their profile.     

Driver education: how effective?

Abstract

In the early 20th century, the numbers of motor vehicles in use grew rapidly in the USA, Canada, and many European countries. By the 1930s, the number of automobile crashes and the resulting deaths and injuries was a significant problem and various safety organizations tried to address it with education and publicity programs aimed at changing driver behaviour. It is not clear when the high crash risks of young drivers were first identified, but in the early 1930s driver education courses began to be offered in US high schools (feasible because US licensing ages were 16 or younger) and soon such courses were being touted (with no evidence) as ‘the most obvious way’ to reduce traffic crashes. Over the years many claims were made for the effectiveness of high school driver education, however, it was not until the late 1960s that competent research studies (including randomized control trials) were undertaken. The consistent findings from these studies have been that high school driver education does not reduce crashes. Furthermore, the trained students get their licenses sooner, and because teenagers have very high crash risks, the net result of high school driver education is increased numbers of crashes.     

Investigation of contributing factors to extremely severe traffic crashes using survival theory

This study aimed to investigate the contributing factors to serious casualty crashes in China. Crashes with deaths greater than 10 people are defined as serious casualty crashes in China. The serious casualty crash data were collected from 2009 to 2014. The random forest analysis was first conducted to select the candidate variables that affect the risks of serious casualty crashes. The Bayesian random parameters accelerated failure time (AFT) model was then developed to link the probability of the serious casualty crash with road geometric conditions, pavement conditions, environmental characteristics, collision characteristics, vehicle conditions, and driver characteristics. The AFT model estimation results indicate that overload driving, country road, northwest china region, turnover crash, private car, snowy or icy road surface and sight distance conditions have significant fixed effects on the likelihood of serious casualty crashes. In addition to these fixed-parameter variables, freeway, clear weather conditions, coach drivers, and upgrade horizontal curve affect the likelihood of serious casualty crashes with varying magnitude across observations. One of the important findings is that the serious casualty crash likelihood does not always decrease with an increase in the driving experience (number of years driven). Before the inflection point of 7 years, the serious casualty crash likelihood increases as the driving experience grows. The results of this study can help to develop effective countermeasures and policy initiatives for the prevention of serious casualty crashes.     

First car-to-car crashes involving young adult drivers: main patterns and their relation to car and driver characteristics

The primary objective of the study was to examine the relationship between patterns in car-to-car crashes involving young drivers and car and driver characteristics and the research design was a national register-based prospective cohort study. Individual records in a cohort born 1970-1972 are linked to road-traffic-crash data (1988-2000). Subjects' first police-registered two-car crash leading to severe or fatal injury (n = 4875) are identified. Typical crash patterns are highlighted and associations between pattern and both car and individual socio-demographic characteristics are tested. Four crash patterns are highlighted. Male drivers and those with lower educational attainment are over-represented in all patterns. Pattern-based risk levels vary considerably according to car safety level and driver's age at time of injury and socio-economic status. Crash patterns might be considered in young adult driver education systems, bearing in mind the consistent higher risks of male drivers and of drivers with lower educational attainment.     

Observed and unobserved correlation between crash avoidance manoeuvers and crash severity

Understanding drivers’ responses to critical events, analyzing drivers’ abilities to perform corrective manoeuvers, and investigating the correlation between these manoeuvers and crash severity provide the opportunity of increasing the knowledge about how to avoid crash occurrence or at least mitigate crash severity. We extend existing research on the determinants of engaging in crash avoidance manoeuvers by considering that observable and unobservable factors relate to both the selection of corrective manoeuvers and the severity outcome. Accordingly, we propose a joint multinomial-logit ordered-probit model of single-vehicle crashes extracted from the NASS GES database for the years 2005–2009. Results show (1) the existence of unobserved correlation between crash avoidance manoeuvers and crash severity, and (2) the link between drivers’ attributes, risky driving behaviour, road characteristics, and environmental conditions, with the propensity to engage in crash avoidance manoeuvers and experience severe crash outcomes.     

Effect of driver,roadway, collision,and vehicle characteristics on crash severity: a conditional logistic regression approach

The aim of the study is to examine the factors that appear to have a higher potential for serious injury or death of drivers in traffic accidents in Turkey, such as collision type, roadway surface, vehicle speed, alcohol/drug use, and restraint use. Driver crash severity is the dependent variable of this study with two categories, fatal and non-fatal. Due to the binary nature of the dependent variable, a conditional logistic regression analysis was found suitable. Of the 16 independent variables obtained from Turkish police accident reports, 11 variables were found most significantly associated with driver crash severity. They are age, education level, restraint use, roadway condition, roadway type, time of day, collision location, collision type, number and direction of vehicles, vehicle speed, and alcohol/drug use. This study found that belted drivers aged 18–25 years involving two vehicles travelling in the same direction, in an urban area, during the daytime, and on an avenue or a street have better chances of survival in traffic accidents.     

Adolescent injuries in relation to economic status: An international perspective

The primary objective of the study was to examine the relationship between patterns in car-to-car crashes involving young drivers and car and driver characteristics and the research design was a national register-based prospective cohort study. Individual records in a cohort born 1970 – 1972 are linked to road-traffic-crash data (1988 – 2000). Subjects' first police-registered two-car crash leading to severe or fatal injury (n = 4875) are identified. Typical crash patterns are highlighted and associations between pattern and both car and individual socio-demographic characteristics are tested. Four crash patterns are highlighted. Male drivers and those with lower educational attainment are over-represented in all patterns. Pattern-based risk levels vary considerably according to car safety level and driver's age at time of injury and socio-economic status. Crash patterns might be considered in young adult driver education systems, bearing in mind the consistent higher risks of male drivers and of drivers with lower educational attainment.     

Dimensions of aberrant driving behaviours in Tunisia: identifying the relation between Driver Behaviour Questionnaire results and accident data

In this study, the Manchester Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ) was used to examine the self-reported driving behaviours of a group of Tunisian drivers (N = 900) and to collect socio-demographic data, driver behaviours and DBQ items. A sample of Tunisian drivers above 18 years was selected. The aim of the present study was to investigate the factorial structure of the DBQ in Tunisia. The principal component analysis identified three factor solutions: inattention errors, dangerous errors and dangerous violations. Logistic regression analysis showed that dangerous errors, dangerous violations and speeding preference factors predicted crash involvement in Tunisia. Speeding is the most common form of aberrant behaviour reported by drivers in the current sample. It remains one of the major road safety concerns.     

Seatbelt use among drivers in an urban city in Nigeria: an observational study

Studies from parts of Nigeria reported low compliance with seatbelt. This study sought to establish driver seatbelt use in Enugu, Nigeria by gender, vehicle type/use and time of day. Observations were done day and night at randomly selected locations. Data were analysed with SPSS version 15. Differences in response were checked with chi-square for trend. Confidence interval was 95% and P value < 0.05 was regarded as significant. Average compliance was 37.6% for the 510 males (85%) and 90 females (15%) observed. It was 74.8% in the day and 0.3% at night. Among males, 218 (42.7%) wore seatbelt while 9 (10%) females did. For commercial drivers 159 (65.2%) complied while 68 (19.1%) private drivers did. Truck drivers had 100% compliance while sports utility vehicle drivers had the lowest (18.8%). There is poor seatbelt compliance in Enugu, Nigeria and need for educational campaigns and stricter enforcement.     

Identifying the factors behind fatal and non-fatal road crashes: a case study of Lahore,Pakistan

ABSTRACT

The study identifies the factors behind fatal and non-fatal road crashes in Lahore, Pakistan, by investigating 461 reported cases to Traffic Police Lahore that occurred during January–November 2014. Road crashes are categorized into fatal and non-fatal crashes and, because of the binary nature of the dependent variable, logistic regression is used to identify the factors behind these crashes. As a follow-up, discriminant analysis is employed to classify the factors related to fatal and non-fatal crashes. The logistic regression results reveal that females are at higher risk of fatalities than male drivers. Among vehicle types, rickshaws and cars are more involved in fatal accidents because both are growing at large on roads. Long trucks and trailers are also involved in fatal accidents, mainly because of their huge size and drivers’ risky driving behaviours. It is also noted that risk of fatalities is higher in case where two vehicles bumped each other. Speeding and overloading are the common behaviours resulting in fatal crashes. Better urban transport systems and strict compliance with traffic rules and regulations may improve road safety in Pakistan.     

Promoting youth occupant restraint based on need

Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for youth. Appropriate occupant protection significantly reduces these preventable injuries. Secondary field observation survey records were studied to identify populations that would most likely benefit from youth occupant protection programs. Multivariate regression analysis showed that drivers of youth between 4 and 14 years were in need of programs promoting youth and driver occupant restraint use. When these drivers were using seat belts, it was 35 times more likely they had youth occupants in safety restraints. A focus on pickup truck drivers may also give these programs greater efficacy in increasing youth restraint use. This study was limited to a single state, but the approach should be transferable to other jurisdictions where youth occupant protection field observation studies are conducted.     

The Beliefs Which Influence Young Males to Speed and Strategies to Slow Them Down: Informing the Content of Antispeeding Messages

Young male drivers are overrepresented in road‐related fatalities. Speeding represents a pervasive and significant contributor to road trauma. Antispeeding messages represent a long‐standing strategy aimed at discouraging drivers from speeding. These messages, however, have not always achieved their persuasive objectives that may be due, in part, to them not always targeting the most salient beliefs underpinning the speeding behavior of particular driver groups. The current study elicited key beliefs underpinning speeding behavior as well as strategies used to avoid speeding, using a well‐validated belief‐based model, the theory of planned behavior, and in‐depth qualitative methods. To obtain the most comprehensive understanding about the salient beliefs and strategies of young male drivers, how such beliefs and strategies compared with those of drivers of varying ages and gender, was also explored. Overall, 75 males and females (aged 17–25 or 30–55) participated in group discussions. The findings revealed beliefs that were particularly relevant to young males and that would likely represent key foci for developing message content. For instance, the need to feel in control and the desire to experience positive affect when driving were salient advantages; while infringements were a salient disadvantage and, in particular, the loss of points and the implications associated with potential license loss as opposed to the monetary (fine) loss (behavioral beliefs). For normative influences, young males appeared to hold notable misperceptions (compared with other drivers, such as young females); for instance, young males believed that females/girlfriends were impressed by their speeding. In the case of control beliefs, the findings revealed low perceptions of control with respect to being able to not speed and a belief that something “extraordinary” would need to happen for a young male driver to lose control of their vehicle while speeding. The practical implications of the findings, in terms of providing suggestions for devising the content of antispeeding messages, are discussed.     

Associations of traffic safety attitudes and ticket fixing behaviours with the crash history of Pakistani drivers

The study assessed whether traffic safety attitudes and ticket fixing behaviours were associated with the crash history. A total of 4018 male drivers from Lahore city participated in this cross sectional study. Most were aged 18–30 years (58.7%, n = 2362), 71.9% (n = 2887) received a traffic ticket, 66.5% (n = 2672) reported previous traffic ticket fixing and 71.3% (n = 2865) considered crashes as being the will of God. Crash history was reported by 95.4% (n = 3821) of drivers, and 58.2% of them reported being involved in a road traffic crash. The likelihood of reporting a previous crash was higher in those who had received a traffic sign violation ticket [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.40; 95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 1.15–1.72], were involved in traffic ticket fixing (aOR = 1.28; 95%CI = 1.07–1.53), and considered crashes as will of God (aOR = 1.86; 95% CI = 1.57–2.22). These results suggested the need for improving traffic enforcement monitoring and safety education in Pakistan.     

Impact of lowering the legal blood alcohol concentration limit to 0.03 on male, female and teenage drivers involved alcohol-related crashes in Japan

In June of 2002, a revision to part of the Road Traffic Act drastically increased the penalties for drinking and driving offences in Japan. Most notably, the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for driving was lowered from 0.05 mg/ml to 0.03 mg/ml. The rationale for the new lower BAC limit was predicated on the assumption that drinking drivers will comply with the new, lower limit by reducing the amount of alcohol they consume prior to driving, thereby lowering their risk of crash involvement. This, in turn, would lead to fewer alcohol-related crashes. A key limitation of previous lower BAC evaluation research in determining the effectiveness of lower legal BAC limit policies is the assumption of population homogeneity in responding to the laws. The present analysis is unique in this perspective and focuses on the evaluation of the impact of BAC limit reduction on different segments of the population. The chief objective of this research is to quantify the extent to which lowering the legal limit of BAC has reduced male, female and teenager involvement in motor vehicle crashes in Japan since 2002. Most notably, the introduction of reduced BAC limit legislation resulted in a statistically significant decrease in the number of alcohol-impaired drivers on the road in Japan, indicating responsiveness to the legal change among adults and teenagers. In addition, this preliminary assessment appears to indicate that the implementation of 0.03 BAC laws and other associated activities are associated with statistically significant reductions in alcohol-involved motor vehicle crashes. In comparison, the rates of total crashes showed no statistically significant decline nor increase in the period following the introduction of the BAC law, indicating that the lower BAC limit only had an effect on alcohol-related crashes in Japan. The evidence suggests that the lower BAC legal limit and perceived risk of detection are the two most important factors resulting in a sustained change in drinking and driving behaviour in Japan. It is recommended that future research and resources in other countries be focused on these factors as determinants to reduced alcohol-related crashes.