Road User Deaths Research Articles

Health and Safety in Temporary Work Zone Road Construction Project in Saudi Arabia: Risks and Solutions.

Road project sites are dangerous and crash-prone, with many hazards that can cause injuries and can result in the deaths of road users or site-workers. Work zones for road construction or maintenance can potentially contribute to increasing these crashes. Many studies have addressed this issue; however, there is a lack of similar studies in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this study contributes to developing safety practices for road work zones in Saudi Arabia by identifying, analyzing, and controlling the main risk factors. A survey approach was used to identify risk factors and potential countermeasures from road users’ and civil engineering experts’ perceptions. The main findings showed that most participants believed that the presence of work zones on the road might increase the probability of crash occurrence and that the highest risk factor that could cause a crash in a work zone is related to driver behavior. Both groups agreed that strict action against contractors or consultants who have safety violations would enhance road safety in work zones. Considering the findings of this study, decision-makers should take strong action to implement and improve road safety practices.

What factors impact pedestrian and cyclist fatalities? A state level analysis

BackgroundPedestrian and bicyclist injuries and fatalities have increased since 2010 after a long downward trend. Trucks and SUVs, collectively called light trucks, have also increased in sales and size, which may affect pedestrians and bicyclists. Additionally, pedestrian and cyclist commuters vary by state and it has been speculated that an increase in such commuters may affect fatalities. Studying vulnerable road users can bestow clues on best practices for infrastructure and public health.MethodsState level pedestrian and cyclist fatality data was obtained from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration for 2018. Light truck registration by state was obtained from the Office of Highway Policy Information for 2018. Commuters who walk or bike to work were obtained from the American Community Survey from 2009 to 2011, from the latest Centers for Disease Control report. We performed multiple linear regression, accounting for total motor vehicle lane miles per 100 people, also obtained from the Office of Highway Policy Information for 2018. Multiple regression analysis was performed to assess predictors for pedestrian and cyclist fatalities with the predictors variables of light truck registration, lane miles per 100 people, and proportion of commuters who are vulnerable road users. Secondary analysis included simple linear regression of the predictor variables against each other.ResultsThe multiple regression model, including proportion of light truck registration, lane miles per 100 people, and proportion of commuters who are vulnerable road users, accounted for 18% of the variability in the outcome variable (p = 0.03). An increased number of vulnerable road users were negatively associated with pedestrian and bicyclist fatality. Additionally, there appeared to be an association between motor vehicle lane miles per 100 people and proportion of light truck registrations that was also significant (p < 0.01).ConclusionThe variables affecting vulnerable road user deaths are important to understand given their increased risk exposure on the road. This state level study identifies a potential protective variable with increased vulnerable road users being associated with a decrease in pedestrian and bicyclist death rates. Additionally, light truck proportions do not appear to have a significant effect on death rates.

Vulnerable road-user deaths in Brazil: a Bayesian hierarchical model for spatial-temporal analysis

Reducing the road traffic injuries burden is relevant to many sustainable development goals (SDG), in particular SDG3 – to establish good health and well-being. To describe the spatial-temporal trends and identify hotspot regions for fatal road traffic injuries, a Bayesian hierarchical Poisson model was used to analyze data on vulnerable road users (bicyclist, motorcyclist and pedestrians) in Brazil from 1999 to 2016. During the study period, mortality rates for bicyclists remained almost unchanged (0.6 per 100,000 people) but rose dramatically for motorcyclists (from 1.0 in 1999 to 6.0 per 100,000 people in 2016) and decreased for pedestrians (from 6.3 to 3.0 per 100,000 people). Spatial analyses accounting for socio-economic factors showed that the central and northeastern microregions of Brazil are hotspot areas for fatal injuries among motorcyclists while the southern areas are for pedestrians.

The need to improve information on road user type in National Vital Statistics System mortality data

Objectives: Both the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) and the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) can be used to examine motor vehicle crash (MVC) deaths. These 2 data systems operate independently, using different methods to collect and code information about the type of vehicle (e.g., car, truck, bus) and road user (e.g., occupant, motorcyclist, pedestrian) involved in an MVC. A substantial proportion of MVC deaths in NVSS are coded as “unspecified” road user, which reduces the utility of the NVSS data for describing burden and identifying prevention measures. This study aimed to describe characteristics of unspecified road user deaths in NVSS to further our understanding of how these groups may be similar to occupant road user deaths.Methods: Using data from 1999 to 2015, we compared NVSS and FARS MVC death counts by road user type, overall and by age group, gender, and year. In addition, we examined factors associated with the categorization of an MVC death as unspecified road user such as state of residence of decedent, type of medical death investigation system, and place of death.Results: The number of MVC occupant deaths in NVSS was smaller than that in FARS in each year and the number of unspecified road user deaths in NVSS was greater than that in FARS. The sum of the number of occupant and unspecified road user deaths in NVSS, however, was approximately equal to the number of FARS occupant deaths. Age group and gender distributions were roughly equivalent for NVSS and FARS occupants and NVSS unspecified road users. Within NVSS, the number of MVC deaths listed as unspecified road user varied across states and over time. Other categories of road users (motorcyclists, pedal cyclists, and pedestrians) were consistent when comparing NVSS and FARS.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the unspecified road user MVC deaths in NVSS look similar to those of MVC occupants according to selected characteristics. Additional study is needed to identify documentation and reporting challenges in individual states and over time and to identify opportunities for improvement in the coding of road user type in NVSS.

If You Want to Get Away with Murder, Use Your Car

The persistently high rate of pedestrian and cyclist road deaths in Canada is a major public health concern and a serious impediment to encouraging active transport. Despite empirical evidence that cyclist- and pedestrian-targeted policies like helmet laws and jaywalking tickets do not decrease fatalities, popular discourse continues to put the onus on vulnerable road users, often blaming them for their deaths. The negative effect of victim-blaming on vulnerable communities has been well established in the critical and feminist traditions, while recent studies have begun to examine the effects of negative discourse on cycling uptake and safety. To examine how public discourse reflects and affects the perception of blame in vulnerable road user deaths, this paper critically analyses news articles of pedestrian and cyclist fatalities in Edmonton in 2016. [results and analysis] Policy implications and avenues for future research are also discussed.

Urban traffic safety assessment: A case study of six Indian cities

This study reports the results of fatal road traffic fatal crash data from six mid-sized cities in India: Agra, Amritsar, Bhopal, Ludhiana, Vadodara, and Vishakhapatnam. Relative to total road fatalities, the percentage of vulnerable road user deaths in all six cities range between 84% and 93%, car occupant fatalities between 2% and 4%, and TST occupants less than 5%. The largest proportion of fatalities for all road user categories (especially vulnerable road users) is associated with collisions with buses and trucks, followed by collisions with cars; however, the proportion of pedestrian fatalities associated with MTW collisions ranges from 8% to 25% of the total. The data indicate that the 0–14 age group is underrepresented in proportion to its share of the population, including children riding motorcycles. Occupant fatality rates per 100,000 vehicles for MTW and TST occupants are 2–3 and 3–5 times higher, respectively, than for cars. However, estimates of association with fatal crashes show that MTWs and cars pose a similar risk to society, with TSTs representing a slightly smaller risk. Confirming some of these results will require data with a higher level of detail.

Risk factors of pedestrians' injury in Ghana

IntroductionDying on the road as a pedestrian is a serious health threat in developing countries. Pedestrian fatalities constitute over 60% of all urban road user deaths in Ghana.ObjectiveWe estimated the...

Area-wide traffic calming for preventing traffic related injuries.

It is estimated that by 2020 road traffic crashes will have moved from ninth to third in the world disease burden ranking, as measured in disability adjusted life years, and second in developing countries. The identification of effective strategies for the prevention of traffic related injuries is of global health importance. Area-wide traffic calming schemes that discourage through traffic on residential roads is one such strategy. To evaluate the effectiveness of area-wide traffic calming in preventing traffic related crashes, injuries, and deaths. We searched the following electronic databases: Cochrane Injuries Group's Specialised Register, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, MEDLINE, EMBASE and TRANSPORT (NTIS, TRIS, TRANSDOC). We searched the web sites of road safety organisations, handsearched conference proceedings, checked reference lists of relevant papers and contacted experts in the area. The search was not restricted by language or publication status. Randomised controlled trials, and controlled before-after studies of area-wide traffic calming schemes. Two reviewers independently extracted data on type of study, characteristics of intervention and control areas, and length of data collection periods. Before and after data were collected on the total number of road traffic crashes, all road user deaths and injuries, pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions and road user deaths. The statistical package STATA was used to calculate rate ratios for each study, which were then pooled to give an overall estimate using a random effects model. We found no randomised controlled trials, but 16 controlled before-after trials met our inclusion criteria. Seven studies were done in Germany, six in the UK, two in Australia and one in the Netherlands. There were no studies in low or middle income countries. Eight trials reported the number of road traffic crashes resulting in deaths. The pooled rate ratio was 0.63 (0.14, 2.59 95% CI). Sixteen studies reported the number of road traffic crashes resulting in injuries (fatal and non fatal). The pooled rate ratio was 0.89 (0.80, 1.00 95% CI). Nine studies reported the total number of road traffic crashes. The pooled rate ratio was 0.95 (0.81, 1.11 95% CI). Thirteen trials reported the number of pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions. The pooled rate ratio was 1.00 (0.84, 1.18). There was significant heterogeneity for the total number of crashes and deaths and injuries. The results from this review suggest that area-wide traffic calming in towns and cities may be a promising intervention for reducing the number of road traffic injuries, and deaths. However, further rigorous evaluations of this intervention are needed.

Potential benefits of restrictions on the transport of teenage passengers by 16 and 17 year old drivers

Objectives—The presence of passengers is associated with fatal motor vehicle crashes of teenage drivers. A restriction against newly licensed teenage drivers carrying passengers has been included in some, but not...

Analysis of pedestrian head impacts to the bonnets of European vehicles

The absolute number of fatally injured pedestrians in the UK has been decreasing in recent years. Statistics show that there were merely 997 fatally injured pedestrians in 1996 and together with fatally injured cyclists, this group of vulnerable road users accounted for 34% of the total UK road user deaths. In the same year, approximately 7,000 pedestrians were killed throughout Europe. It is against this background that the European Commission is considering a draft proposal for pedestrian protection legislation to cover passenger cars. Setting aside the argument relating to the most efficient method of achieving pedestrian protection, it is understood that cost-effective car-based pedestrian protection must be designed into vehicles at the earliest stage of product development. This will mean a reliance on predictive methods in order to avoid extensive test programmes. In this paper the results of 70 headform impacts to the bonnets of seven European vehicles are first analysed. Using the Head Injury Criteria (HIC) and peak acceleration as response measurements, the analysis concentrates on impacts resulting in low to moderate responses. Common traits are explored across the vehicles for these impacts and design guidelines given for future vehicles. ‘Thereafter follows a detailed finite element analysis using one of the vehicles and varying parameters such as headform skin material, attachment of inner and outer bonnet panels, inclusion of NVH padding and precise impact location. Both child and adult headforms are used at a variety of impact locations including hinges, large areas of unsupported bonnet and over the engine. Recommendations are then given for the further development and future application of the technique.

Influence of travel patterns on mortality from injury among teenagers in England and Wales, 1985-95: trend analysis

Injuries are the leading cause of death among teenagers.1 The Health of the Nation strategy aims to reduce mortality from accidents in young people by 25% by 2005.2 We previously...

Incidence and implications of natural deaths of road users.

A prospective study was carried out over the 10 years 1978-87 to determine the incidence and implications of sudden death in road users--that is, drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. During the study period 30,000 patients were seen in the same accident and emergency departments of East Berkshire after road traffic incidents or accidents, of whom 267 either were brought in dead or died within two hours after arrival. Of these patients, 64 (24%) were found to have died of natural causes due to pre-existing disease or to have been killed in an incident that occurred as a result of a medical or psychiatric condition. Twelve of the patients sustained physical injury; all 64 came to necropsy. Only one incident resulted in the death of another person in addition to the natural death of a patient. It is concluded that sudden natural death occurring in road users does not present an appreciable hazard to other road users.