Causes Of Road Traffic Accidents Research Articles

Back to the future: Brake reaction times for manual and automated vehicles

Rear-end collisions are often quoted as being a major cause of road traffic accidents. In response to this, a great deal of ergonomics research effort has been directed towards the analysis of brake reaction times. However, the engineering solution has been to develop advanced systems for longitudinal control, which, it is argued, will mitigate the problem of rear-end collisions. So far, though, there have been few empirical studies to determine how brake reaction times will be affected by such vehicle automation. This paper presents a literature review summarizing the current state of knowledge about driver responses in non-automated vehicles. The review covers driver factors, vehicle factors and situational factors. Following the review, some empirical data are presented from a driving simulator experiment assessing brake reaction times of skilled and unskilled drivers under two different levels of automation. When compared to previous data gathered during manual driving, there seems to be a striking increase in reaction times for these automated conditions. Implications for the design and safety of automated vehicle systems are discussed.

Use of CCTV to determine road accident factors in urban areas

This paper sets out to assess whether there is a potential use for images collected through the increasingly ubiquitous use of CCTV cameras in urban areas as a means of increasing understanding of the causes of road traffic accidents. Information on causation and contributory factors is essential as a means of understanding why accidents occurred and how the occurrence of similar events may be prevented in the future. CCTV records of accidents could provide an independent perspective on an accident and have the potential to increase both the quality and quantity of information available to the safety researcher. This study focuses on an area of central Leeds in the UK and shows that an existing CCTV camera system used for urban traffic management reasons has the potential to record around a quarter of the accidents which occur in the area, based on patterns of past occurrence. Most city centres in the UK will have similar camera systems set-up. By the introduction of additional strategically placed cameras and replacement of existing cameras with ones dedicated to accident recording, this figure could be increased substantially. The paper also considers how effective cameras and video records will be as a means of identifying contributory factor information once an accident is recorded. The contributory factor classification used by a recently introduced system in Britain is assessed in terms of how visible each of the factors is likely to be on video and their relative frequency of occurrence. It is concluded that CCTV has a high potential to provide corroborative evidence about many of the most commonly occurring factors, and to throw further light on accident causation.

Trauma resuscitation – the team approach

This is the second edition of a book first published in 1993, but it has been significantly updated so that, for the target audience, it is comprehensive and contemporary. The editors have brought together a balanced team of doctors and nurses clinically active in the field to provide a comprehensive review of trauma resuscitation. The importance of the team approach is emphasized, with the majority of the chapters being joint doctor and nurse collaborations. It is a 320-page paperback book with 17 chapters that cover the general principles of trauma resuscitation and each of the major body systems. There are also chapters on resuscitation in paediatric patients, elderly care patients and pregnant patients, on the specific issues related to burns, hypothermia and drowning and, finally, sections on psychological issues in the resuscitation room, pain management and the transport of the trauma victim. Somewhat surprisingly there is very little on trauma scoring systems and outcome prediction and, apart from a brief section on gunshot wounds, little on trauma resulting from warfare and terrorist attacks using poisonous and toxic gases. In discussing the causes of trauma, alcohol and other drug use is discussed but no mention is made of sleep deprivation, an increasingly recognized cause of road traffic accidents and workplace accidents. There is a standard and effective chapter format that sets out the objectives for each chapter, which provides a succinct introduction and then covers the epidemiology, anatomy and physiology, the important physical signs, relevant investigations and key aspects of management. Practical procedures are clearly described and throughout the text there is effective use of bullet points and text boxes that highlight key messages. I particularly liked the final key message in the transport chapter: 'Do not forget to return with ALL the equipment you took with you!' This emphasizes the practical nature of this book. The references quoted are relevant, with most published within the past 5 years. There are useful website addresses at the end of each chapter and also a review of trauma websites at the beginning of the book, which I found very helpful. Trauma Resuscitation is aimed at all members of the trauma team and will be particularly valuable to qualified nurses specializing in this area and junior doctors from a variety of backgrounds who become involved in the care of patients suffering from the many forms of trauma that present to accident and emergency departments. Indeed there are few, even consultant colleagues working with trauma patients, who would not learn something from this book. I believe the editors' confidence that this book will help all those that read it to achieve their potential as members of the trauma team and to contribute to improved patient outcome is justified.

Epidemiology of Road Traffic Trauma in China--1998 in Retrospect

The 1998 epidemiological data on road traffic trauma (RTT) in China were collected, analyzed, and compared with data from 1997. The data were gathered from the Traffic Administration Bureau and literature, then analyzed and discussed. The following results are reported: (1) The amount of road traffic accidents (RTA), fatalities, and injuries were 346,129, 78,067, and 22,272, an increase of 13.78%, 5.69%, and 17.14%, respectively, compared to 1997. (2) Among the causes of RTA, human factors accounted for 92.8%, motor vehicle drivers 84.3%; mechanical 4.1%, and road conditions 0.1%. (3) With respect to fatalities and injuries, pedestrians accounted for 26.1% and 13.1%, bicyclists 17.4% and 13.3%, motorcyclists 15.4% and 19.2%, respectively. (4) Ages of the fatalities included <9 years old 6.1% and >65 years old 7.8%. The safety of these age groups should receive more attention. (5) The amount of RTAs and fatalities in mixed roads accounted for 55.9% and 67.2%. These outcomes indicate a need for focus on comprehensive treatment of RTA and RTT. In conclusion, RTA and RTT have continuously increased in China. The main reasons are lack of good traffic administration and lax enforcement of traffic regulations. If these two areas can be strengthened, traffic safety will be greatly improved.

Superstition, risk-taking and risk perception of accidents among South African taxi drivers

The aim of this study was to investigate taxi drivers’ superstition and risk perception of accidents as well as risk-taking in an urban area in South Africa. One hundred and thirty drivers of minibuses, so-called “taxis” were interviewed on the basis of: (1) a superstition scale; (2) a risk-taking scale; (3) a list of perceived causes of road traffic accidents. Drivers showed largely superstitious attitudes and expressed a high degree of risk-taking behavior. Superstition was positively correlated with the number of self-reported accidents the drivers had been involved in and the number of accidents they had witnessed. Path analysis revealed a direct path from superstition to accident involvement while the influence of formal education was negligible. Risk-taking was inversely correlated with driving experience and the number of accidents witnessed but not so with the number of accidents involved in. There was no clear pattern of associations between superstition and risk-taking and perceived causes of accidents. Superstition and risk-taking were slightly and inversely correlated with each other. It is concluded that superstition represents an attitude that is associated with a driver’s accident risk, and further research on superstitious attitudes among South African drivers is advocated.

Chronobiologie de la vigilance Approche d'application dans le domaine de la sécurité routière

Chronobiology is the study of biological rhythms, including those of alertness and performance. Neurophysiologists define alertness in terms of levels of activation of the nervous system which is subject to circadian, ultradian and circasemidian variations during the nycthemeron. Study of the rhythm of human alertness has shown that episodes of low alertness occur at foreseeable times of the day. Human error caused by reduced alertness while driving is one of the main causes of road traffic accidents, which exhibit a rhythm with a periodicity of 24 hours with peaks and troughs at fixed times. The highest risks coincide with the lowest levels of alertness, and these occur in the mid-afternoon, late at night, and early in the morning. These times of day are compatible with the circadian pattern of sleepiness. The main factors that increase the likelihood of accidents are sleep disturbances, alcohol ingestion and the taking of psychotropic drugs. Chronobiological data can be used to improve safety if it provides solutions that adapt working hours to circadian variations and the functional capacities of the human operator. Determining the times when human operator performance is at its best and making working hours compatible with them provides a means of improving the human operator's reliability and therefore reduces accident risk. This paper begins with a literature survey concerning the concepts of the chronobiology of alertness and performance, and stresses the potential and limits of the recommended measures for detecting and preventing low driver alertness. It then proposes a methodological approach for applying the chronobiology of alertness in the area of road transport safety, which is based seven complementary stages.

Falling asleep at the steering wheel--a dangerous sequel of sleep apnea

Excessive sleepiness is a common but underrecognised and preventable cause of road traffic accidents. Acute and chronic sleep deprivation, inadequate sleep hygiene, and sleep disorders are important causes of hypersomnolence. Since the latter is one of the cardinal manifestations of the obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome, affected patients are at particular risk of being involved in traffic accidents. Counselling of hypersomnolent drivers on appropriate behavioural modification, early diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders, as well as information of the public on the risks of accidents related to sleepiness are important preventive measures.

Risk factors for ‘whiplash’ in drivers: a cohort study of rear-end traffic crashes

‘Whiplash’ injuries are a common cause of road traffic accident (RTA) related morbidity. However, few epidemiological studies have investigated risk factors associated with the occurrence of such injuries. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between vehicle and occupant factors and the incidence of ‘whiplash’ in drivers with recent experience of a rear-end impact in an RTA. A cohort of 246 car drivers with recent experience of a rear-end impact in the Adelaide metropolitan area was recruited. Structured telephone interviews were used to obtain information about driver demographics, the circumstances of the crash, and injuries resulting from the crash. Two factors were identified as independent risk factors for ‘whiplash’ injury: a history of neck injury (adjusted odds ratio = 4.50, 95 per cent confidence interval 1.97–10.28) and female sex (adjusted odds ratio = 2.08, 95 per cent confidence interval 1.13–3.82). The relative weight of the striking vehicle to the driver's vehicle was also positively associated with risk of ‘whiplash’ injury. There was no evidence that the driver's occupation or level of education are predictors of occurrence. Methodological aspects of the study which might have resulted in bias are discussed and suggestions are given for overcoming these in future work.

Epidemiology of road traffic accidents in Zaria, Nigeria.

A STUDY of Road Traffic Accident (RTA) was carried out in Zaria for the period of eight (8) years, from 1972 to 1979. Data was collected from the Motor Traffic Division (MTD), of the Nigeria Police Force, Zaria, Medical Records Office and Casualty Ward of Ahmadu Bello University (A.B.U.) Teaching Hospital, Zaria. It was found that there were more RTA on Tuesdays (16.10%) and Wednesdays (16.63%) than Fridays (11.52%) and Saturdays (11.87%). More cases of RTA were witnessed in the months of September (9.48%) and October (11.20%) than in February (6.82%) and June (2.82%). Reckless ness and negligence of drivers (23.58%) was found to be mostly responsible for the cause of RTA while intoxication (0.59%) was found to be the least cause. Private car drivers played more role in RTA in Zaria than any of the other participants like taxi drivers, bus drivers and motor cyclists. More males were involved in the accidents than females. Four years (1975-78) analy sis of RTAs revealed that there were six (6) cases of RTAs in Zaria everyday, and two (2) persons were injured or maimed everyday in Zaria. Recommendations aimed at enhancing road safety are highlighted.