Abstract
Fatal vehicle crashes (FVCs) are among the leading causes of death worldwide. Professional drivers often drive under dangerous conditions; however, knowledge of the risk factors for FVCs among professional drivers remain scant. We investigated whether professional drivers have a higher risk of FVCs than non-professional drivers and sought to clarify potential risk factors for FVCs among professional drivers. We analyzed nationwide incidence rates of FVCs as preliminary data. Furthermore, by using these data, we created a 1:4 professionals/non-professionals preliminary study to compare with the risk factors between professional and non-professional drivers. In Taiwan, the average crude incidence rate of FVCs for 2003–2016 among professional drivers was 1.09 per 1,000 person-years; professional drivers had a higher percentage of FVCs than non-professional drivers among all motor vehicle crashes. In the 14-year preliminary study with frequency-matched non-professional drivers, the risk of FVCs among professional drivers was significantly associated with a previous history of involvement in motor vehicle crashes (adjustment odds ratio [OR] = 2.157; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.896–2.453), previous history of benzodiazepine use (adjustment OR = 1.385; 95% CI, 1.215–1.579), and speeding (adjustment OR = 1.009; 95% CI, 1.006–1.013). The findings have value to policymakers seeking to curtail FVCs.
Highlights
Fatal vehicle crashes (FVCs) are one of the major health and social problems worldwide, causing many deaths and economic losses [1, 2]
For professional drivers, the percentages of FVCs among all motor vehicle crashes decreased from ∼4% in 2003 to 1.5% in 2016; among nonprofessional drivers, a similar trend was observed, with a decrease from ∼2–0.5% (Figure 2B)
During the follow-up period, the percentages of FVCs was higher for professional drivers than for non-professional drivers
Summary
Fatal vehicle crashes (FVCs) are one of the major health and social problems worldwide, causing many deaths and economic losses [1, 2]. Motor vehicle crash injuries were estimated to be the ninth leading cause of death worldwide in 2004 and are predicted to rise to the fifth leading cause by 2030 [3]. The risk of FVCs in all drivers is attributable to a variety of factors, including human factors (e.g., male sex, age [novice or elderly driver], low educational level, physical diseases, alcohol use, illicit or prescription drug use, excessive speeding, distracted driving, driver fatigue, and careless driving), equipment factors (e.g., unsafe vehicle design and air bags), environmental factors (e.g., adverse weather, rural or wet roads, poor lighting, and unsafe road infrastructure), enforcement (e.g., seatbelt use, cell phone use while driving, previous history, of traffic offenses or involvement in motor vehicle crashes, swerving, inadequate traffic laws, and poor law enforcement powers), and medical response (e.g., slow emergency medical response time in remote areas) [3–8]. Road transport is the principal form of transport in most countries and is an important driver of social and economic development. Data regarding risk factors for FVCs among professional drivers remain scant
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