Adverse weather conditions and fatal motor vehicle crashes in the United States, 1994-2012.

Objective While attention has been given to how legalization of recreational cannabis affects traffic crash rates, there was been limited research on how cannabis affects pedestrians involved in traffic crashes. This study examined the association between cannabis legalization (medical, recreational use, and recreational sales) and fatal motor vehicle crash rates (both pedestrian-involved and total fatal crashes). Methods We used crash data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) to calculate monthly rates of fatal motor vehicle crashes and fatal pedestrian-involved crashes per 100,000 people from 1991 to 2018. Changes in monthly crash rates in three states that had legalized cannabis (Colorado, Washington, and Oregon) were compared to matched control states using segmented regression with autoregressive terms. Results We found no significant differences in pedestrian-involved fatal motor vehicle crashes between legalized cannabis states and control states following medical or recreational cannabis legalization. Washington and Oregon saw immediate decreases in all fatal crashes (-4.15 and −6.60) following medical cannabis legalization. Colorado showed an increase in trend for all fatal crashes after recreational cannabis legalization and the beginning of sales (0.15 and 0.18 monthly fatal crashes per 100,000 people). Conclusions Overall findings do not suggest an elevated risk of total or pedestrian-involved fatal motor vehicle crashes associated with cannabis legalization.

ObjectiveYoung men have greater representation in fatal alcohol-related crashes. Recent studies of young women and risky behaviours have raised concerns about the implications this may have for alcohol-related fatal crashes....

Objective: To examine the public health messages conveyed by newspaper coverage of fatal motor vehicle crashes and determine the extent to which press coverage accurately reflects real risks and crash...

Objective. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15-to 20-year-olds. In 2004, nearly 8,000 15to 20-year-old drivers were killed in crashes. Epidemiologic studies repeatedly identify overrepresentation of young males in fatal crashes. Recent studies of young females and risk-taking behaviors (drug use, violent crime, risky sexual behavior) show unfavorable trends. The objective of this study is to study the extent of contribution of young female drivers to national fatal crashes over and to uncover unfavorable trends linked to risky driving behavior. Methods. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatal Analysis Reporting System (FARS) on drivers in crashes with one or more fatalities during 1995–2004 were studied. Five age groups were used: 16, 17, 18, 19–20, and 21–24 years. Linear regression was used to measure trends over time. The regression results represent differences in proportions and changes in proportion of crashes that fell into specified categories. The FARS multiple imputation data sets was used to estimate the proportion of drivers with positive blood alcohol, and variance estimates were corrected for the imputation procedure. Results. In all, 139,000 fatal crashes involving the noted age groups occurred over 10 years. Safety restraint use: Females had more safety restraint use (by 17.8%) but a smaller increase in use over time. Driver's license validity: The percentage of valid licensure decreased over the study for young males and females both in the general population and among drivers in fatal crashes. Single-vehicle crashes: A lower proportion of female drivers (8.9% fewer) were involved in single-vehicle fatal crashes. This proportion changed little over the study period. Alcohol use: Females had a 16.7% lower proportion than males of alcohol involvement in fatal crashes. This lower proportion was seen throughout the age groups. When accounting for change over the study period, female drivers had a similar to male increase in alcohol-involved fatal crashes. Presence of peer passengers: Female drivers were less likely to have age peers as passengers. Conclusions. While young male drivers surpass young females in number of fatal crashes, there are unfavorable trends linked to crash fatalities in young females. Our results suggest a smaller increase in safety restraint use, proportional decrease in license validity, and an increase in rate of alcohol-involved fatal crashes that approaches that seen in young males. These findings have considerable implications for future traffic safety social marketing campaigns, programs, and interventions.

Objectives The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on motor vehicle traffic patterns, leading to a noticeable decrease in traffic volume during the peak of the pandemic. Previous studies have highlighted an increase in risky driving behaviors during the pandemic, such as impaired driving and not wearing seatbelts. Despite reduced traffic, many states, including Arkansas experienced an increase in motor vehicle crash fatality rates. This trend highlights the need to better understand the factors associated with this trend. This study aimed to examine the potential role of impaired driving and the lack of restraint use in the rise of fatal crashes during the pandemic. Methods Record-level data from fatal car crashes occurring in Arkansas between 2018 through 2021 were obtained from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to compare restraint use among both deceased drivers and passengers before (January 1, 2018 through March 10, 2020) and during the pandemic (March 11, 2020 through December 31, 2021), as well as impaired driving among drivers who died in a crash and all drivers involved in fatal crashes during the study period. Results During the study period, there were 1,226 deceased drivers, 369 deceased passengers, and 2,200 drivers involved in fatal crashes. Among the 1,226 deceased drivers, there was a 34% decrease in the odds of seatbelt use during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic (p = 0.001). There were no significant changes in impaired driving among deceased drivers during the pandemic (AOR: 1.24; p = 0.09). Seatbelt use among the 369 deceased passengers did not change (AOR: 0.99; p = 0.96). Among the 2,200 drivers involved in fatal crashes, there was a 31% decrease in the odds of seatbelt use (p < 0.0001) and a 38% increase in the odds of impaired driving (p = 0.0002) during the pandemic when compared to before the pandemic. Conclusion The increase in fatal car crashes during the pandemic may be attributed to the increase in impaired driving and decrease in restraint use. These findings highlight the need for public health interventions, such as sobriety checkpoints, public awareness campaigns, and strengthened enforcement to address impaired driving and promote restraint use.

Student drivers: A study of fatal motor vehicle crashes involving 16-year-old drivers

This study examined the impact of random alcohol testing, implemented on August 1, 1994, on the likelihood that the driver of a large truck involved in a fatal motor vehicle crash was alcohol-involved. Among fatal crashes, the proportion of alcohol-positive large truck drivers (intervention group) was compared with the proportion of alcohol-positive light passenger vehicle drivers (control group). Annual Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data (1988-2003) were compiled for each of the 50 states and Washington, D.C., for the control and intervention groups. Using these pooled cross-sectional data, logistic regression modeled the likelihood that a driver was alcohol-positive (blood alcohol concentration > 0) before compared with after random alcohol testing. We attributed the difference-in-difference (the difference in likelihoods of being alcohol positive pretesting versus post-testing in large truck versus passenger vehicle drivers) to the impact of random testing. Drivers of large trucks were 18.6% less likely to be alcohol-involved after random testing was implemented than before random testing (odds ratio [OR] = 0.814, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.713-0.930). The control group of passenger car drivers was 4.7% less likely to be alcohol-involved after random testing was implemented (OR = 0.953, 95% CI: 0.924-0.983). The net reduction in the odds of alcohol involvement for drivers of large trucks was 14.5% (OR = 0.855, 95% CI: 0.748-0.976). Controlling for the general declining trend in alcohol-involved drivers in fatal crashes, random alcohol testing was correlated with a 14.5% reduction in alcohol involvement among large truck drivers.

Compared with the estimated injury fatality rate for workers in all occupations (nine in 100,000 in 1988) the farm fatality rate (48 in 100,000) was among the highest in the nation; in 1993, these rates were eight and 35 in 100,000, respectively. On-road farm-vehicle fatalities have been identified as a significant problem, yet these events apparently have not been investigated in a comprehensive manner. The purpose of this study was to investigate the circumstances surrounding all on-road, non-truck, farm-vehicle crash fatalities in the United States form 1988 through 1993. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatal Accident Reporting System, which includes data for all US fatal on-road motor vehicle crashes, was the source of data. Driver-related variables were compared among farm vehicles, vehicles in collisions with farm vehicles, and all other vehicles in rural, fatal crashes; environmental variables were compared between rural farm-vehicle and non-farm-vehicle crashes. During 1988 to 1993, in rural areas, 444 farm-vehicle occupants were killed; in addition, 238 occupants of other vehicles or pedestrians were killed in collisions with the farm vehicles. The farm vehicles were disproportionately involved in overturns, rear-end collisions, and incidents in which the injured person fell from the vehicle, when compared with all other non-farm vehicles involved in rural-area fatal crashes. Of the farm vehicles involved in fatal crashes at night, dawn, or dusk, 65% were struck in the rear, compared with 4% of vehicles involved in fatal non-farm-vehicle crashes. Compared with drivers in all other rural crashes, farm-vehicle operators were more likely to be male, have a greater proportion of convictions for driving while intoxicated, and a lower proportion of previous speeding convictions. From this initial investigation, it appears that the fatal-crash involvement of farm vehicles are related to vehicle and environmental factors that are changeable. Given the proportion of overturns associated with farm-vehicle crashes (21%) compared with non-farm vehicles (9%), there is a need to investigate design characteristics of the farm vehicles. The large proportion of farm vehicles struck in the rear during daylight (24%) as well as night, dawn, or dusk hours (65%), compared with non-farm vehicles (4% and 4%, respectively), suggest factors related to visibility and perception of the farm vehicles' speed that provide a basis for further study.

The following table compares alcohol involvement in fatal motor-vehicle crashes by age group and blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels for 1999 and 2000. A fatal crash is considered alcohol-related by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) if either a driver or nonoccupant (e.g., pedestrian) had a BAC of > or =0.01 g/dL in a police-reported traffic crash. Because BACs are not available for all persons in fatal crashes, NHTSA estimates the number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities on the basis of a discriminant analysis of information from all cases for which driver or nonoccupant BAC data are available.

Background. High-speed police pursuits are common in the United States (US). Most states do not gather statistics on police pursuits, pursuit crashes, injuries or fatalities for annual review. Objective. The objective of this study is to determine the number of pursuit fatalities to officers, those in the chased vehicle, andthose uninvolved in pursuits from 1982–2004. Methods. A review of police pursuit fatalities reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) database from 1982–2004. The data was reviewed for fatalities, demographic data, alcohol involvement, road surface type (rural versus urban) andmechanism of collision leading to a pursuit fatality. Results. From 1982–2004, 881,733 fatal crashes were reported to NHTSA, leading to 987,523 fatalities. Of fatal crashes, 6,336 (0.7%) were secondary to pursuits, leading to 7,430 (0.8%) fatalities, a mean of 323 per year. Among these fatalities, chased vehicle occupants accounted for 5,355 (72%); police for 81 (1%); those uninvolved for 1994 (27%). Of fatalities, 6074 (82%) were male, 2,092 (28%) were children andadolescents. Mean age of death was 24 years. African–Americans 1,154 (24%) andNative Americans 101 (2%) died at a higher proportion than their percentage of the US population. Collisions with solid objects accounted for 3,175 (59%) of fatalities in the chased vehicles. Collisions with other moving vehicles accounted for 1,434 (80%) of fatalities of vehicular occupants uninvolved in pursuits. Most fatal crashes, 3,130 (62%), occurred on urban roadways. Alcohol was involved in 4,628 (62%) fatalities. Of police fatalities, 20 (25%) were intoxicated. Conclusions. Police pursuits results in a small yet significant number of fatal motor vehicular crashes andfatalities. All states should record the total number of police pursuits, pursuit crashes, injuries andfatalities for annual review. The findings in this study have important operational implications for EMS care.

Fatality Risks on the Road and in Space

Commentary: Supersized vans: A supersized problem

Characteristics of Law Enforcement Officers' Fatalities in Motor Vehicle Crashes

This report investigates several extreme examples of the long-term effect of ignoring the alcohol involvement-restraint use interaction using data for calendar year 1995. By studying the interaction, the study attempts to determine the progress of programs to reduce drunk driving and to encourage use of occupant restraint systems.

Fatal crashes at highway rail grade crossings: A U.S. based study