Involvement In Road Traffic Accidents Research Articles

Epidemiology of Road Traffic Injuries in Qassim Region , Saudi Arabia : Consistency of Police and Health Data

In Saudi Arabia, road traffic accidents (RTA) are becoming a serious public health problem. Police reports are designed for legal purposes with very little information on the health consequences. Also, health system data include detailed health information, but not related or linked to the data obtained police reports. Examining the consistency of these sources is vital to build an accurate surveillance system that can track the risk factors and the health consequences, as well as establishing and evaluating prevention interventions. This study is intended to: ▪ Examine the consistency of health -registration data with the data gathered by the traffic police department.▪ Elucidate the magnitude, risk factors and outcome of RTI in Qassim region of Saudi Arabia,▪ Compare the pattern of accidents in Qassim with those at different regions of the Kingdom. Health care information was collected on visits of victims of road traffic accidents to emergency and outpatients' departments of the major hospitals in Qassim region during the year 2010. The information included the patients' demographics, and clinical characteristics. Traffic Police Department information was also collected on all accidents that occurred in the study region. A Questionnaire was also developed and pilot tested to collect data from a random sample of population attending hospital outpatient and Primary Health Care clinics. Data included previous involvement in road traffic accident, and information about any injury; fatality or disability due to these RTI. During the study period, road traffic death rate based on death registration data was almost twice as high as the rate reported by the police (P < 0.05). There was also a significant decline of 27% according to police-reported data during the study period, as opposed to a non-significant increase of 8% according to health registration data during the same period. Population Survey Information showed the overall age-sex-adjusted rate for non-fatal RTI was 20.7 (95% CI, 20.0 - 21.3)/100 persons/year. The rate for non-fatal RTI is higher in the 10-19 years age group (17.3%). Males had twice or more incidence rate for RTI requiring recovery period of ≤ 7 days as compared with females, however, RTI incidence for recovery period of >7 days is more than twice in females.. Also a total of 12 deaths due to RTI were reported in 5-49 years age group in the last 3 years, representing an estimated annual RTI mortality rate of 35.4/100,000 (95% CI 16.6 - 57.8). A total of 11 participants reported RTI related disability in the last 3 years representing an estimated annual RTI disability rate of 34.1/100,000 population (95% CI 11.4 - 55.7). Reports of the Traffic Police Department showed that 18623 accidents occurred throughout the year 2010. These accidents involved 23178 persons, and resulted in the injury of 2025 people and the deaths of 369. In contrast, the health system reports showed that 4232 people had been injured and 1054 had died. Comparison with local & Arab Rates showed that Qassim is among the highest 5 regions in the kingdom regarding the number of RTA Saudi Arabia is also having a very high level of road traffic accidents and fatalities compared to other Arab countries. RTI are responsible for significant loss of life, disability and injury in Qassim population and in Saudi Arabia. The inconsistency between police-reported data and health system data strongly suggests that active efforts to audit and monitor data quality are clearly necessary.

Pattern of Seat Belt and Mobile Phone use while driving in an Urban Population of Commercial Drivers

Objective: Human error contributes significantly to the occurrence of road traffic accidents (RTAs) and their attendant morbidity and mortality. While driving, distractions such as the use of mobile phones and poor compliance with the use of seat belts play different roles in the occurrence of RTAs and possible injuries arising from them. This study aimed at evaluating the pattern of seat belt and mobile phone use (while driving) in an urban population of commercial drivers It also investigated the relationship between mobile phone use and recorded accidents. Methods: Commercial intercity vehicle drivers were interviewed face to face at the five major motor parks in Ilorin-Nigeria about mobile phone and seat belt use while driving. Results: Three hundred and ninety nine (399) commercial intercity vehicle drivers (CIVDs) participated in the study. All were male. Eighty-three drivers (20.8%) had been involved in RTA over the last 10 years and common causes were faulty vehicles 44 (42.7%) and driving errors 22 (21.4%). Two hundred and thirteen (53.4%) of the drivers engaged their seat belts regularly, 151 (37.8%) did so occasionally, and 35 (8.8%) never did. In addition, 155 (38.8%) drivers believed it was always necessary to use their seat belts, while 111 (27.8%) had a contrary opinion. 105 (26.3%) drivers admitted that the seat belts in the vehicles they drove had malfunctioned. Twenty-nine (11.5%) out of 253 mobile phones owners used these devices when driving, while twenty-five (96.9%) out of the 29 drivers who made or received calls in transit did not use hands-free devices. There was no statistically significant association between calls while driving and involvement in RTA (p> 0.05). Conclusion: The use of mobile phones and poor compliance with the use of seat belts while driving are common among commercial drivers in Ilorin, Nigeria. There is a need for improved education, monitoring, and enforcement of existing laws against these vices to curb these risky habits. Key words: Commercial drivers, seat belt, mobile phone, road traffic accident

Visual Function as a Risk Factor for Road Traffic Accidents among Commercial Intercity Vehicle Drivers in Jos, Nigeria

Background: To assess the effect of visual function on the occurrence of road traffic accidents (RTA) amongst Commercial Intercity Vehicle Drivers in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional survey of commercial intercity vehicle drivers at the Bauchi Road Motor Park, Jos, was undertaken in November 2006. The study instrument was a semi-structured questionnaire. Information obtained included demographic data, operational route, history of involvement in road traffic accident (RTA), cause of RTA and ocular history. Each participant had a detailed ocular examination. Data from 221 subjects were collected and entered into Epi-info version 6.04d, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland. Data entry validation was done through duplicate entry. Frequency tables were then generated. Results: A total of 221 of 268 drivers were assessed (response rate was 82.5%). All the drivers were males. Their age ranged from 20-90 years (mean: 44.2, SD 9.2). Up to 58(26.2%) drivers reported involvement in RTA. The main causes of RTAs were burst tyre 10(17.2%), reckless driving 9(15.5%), sleep 8(13.8%) and pedestrians 8(13.8%). Four persons (6.9%) complained of poor visibility at night. The age group 20-29 years and &gt;50 years had the highest proportion of drivers involved in RTA as 33.3% (3/9) and 29.2% (19/58) of drivers in this age group reported involvement in RTA respectively. Three (5.2%) drivers with history of involvement in RTA had a VA of &lt;6/12. Conclusion: Young and elderly drivers are more at risk of involvement in RTAs. Visual impairment was an important risk factor especially among the elderly drivers. Periodic ocular examination will contribute significantly to the reduction of RTAs.Key Words Driving, road traffic accidents, visual function

Hazards Encountered by Juvenile Hawkers in Markets and Motor Parks in Kano City, Nigeria

Background A growing number of juvenile hawkers are found on the streets and markets in developing countries including Nigeria. They face significant physical, emotional and psychological hazards which have not been fully explored. We studied these hazards, including sexual assault, in Kano City, Northern Nigeria. Method A cross-section of 282 juvenile hawkers was interviewed in markets and Motor Parks in Kano city in northern Nigeria. Results Of the 282 children, majority were female (61.7%), of Hausa ethnicity (57.1%) and Muslim (97.2%). There was also a high illiteracy rate 76/282 (27.0%) and a high school dropout rate 22/282 (7.8%). Their ages ranged from 10 to 17 years with a mean of 13.8+-2.1 years. Most (73.8%) of their parents were still married, 14.9% were divorced while 11.3% had lost both parents. Hazards faced by these children included involvement in road traffic accidents (29.1%), physical assault (27.3%), fighting (37.2%) and theft (14.5%). Others included gang beating (9.6%) and kidnap (0.7%). 44 of them had been sexually assaulted, a prevalence of 15.6% (95%CI=11.6% to 20.4%). This was 23.6% among females and 2.8% among males. This difference was statistically significant [χ2=21.9 P Key words: Child labour, Hazards, Sexual assault, Nigeria

Accident Rates for Drug-Dependent Patients in Treatment for Substance Dependence: A Pilot Trial

Objectives: To analyze accident rates among drug-dependent patients before and after treatment for substance dependence. Methods: Self-reported lifetime data and data from the year prior to the start of treatment were analyzed from a cohort including 53 drug-dependent patients, 48 men and 5 women, who had started treatment for substance dependence in an outpatient treatment center in Valladolid, Spain. We also obtained prospective information about treatment dropout and accident rates in the 3-month follow-up period after the start of drug-dependency treatment. Results: Twenty-two percent of drug-dependent patients had an accident in the year prior to starting treatment, and 64.2 percent had an accident in his or her lifetime. Road traffic accidents were the most frequent, with 11.3 percent of patients reporting at least one in the prior year and 45.3 percent reporting at least one road traffic accident in his or her lifetime. Furthermore, drug-dependent patients were frequently under the influence of drugs when driving (13.2%), as well as when performing dangerous activities at work (11.3%), at home (9.4%), and during sporting activities (5.7%) in the year prior to starting treatment. Of the 30 patients who were still undergoing treatment after 3 months, 2 had had accidents during this period (6.6%), one occurring at work and the other at home. Conclusions: Accident involvement, and especially involvement in road traffic accidents, was common among drug-dependent patients. Many accidents occurred in the year prior to treatment initiation. Furthermore, drug-dependent patients often undertook risky activities while under the influence of drugs. There is a need to implement accident prevention strategies, especially strategies that target road traffic accidents, in treatment programs for drug-dependent patients.

Are badgers ‘Under The Weather’? Direct and indirect impacts of climate variation on European badger (Meles meles) population dynamics

AbstractWeather conditions, and how they in turn define and characterize regional climatic conditions, are a primary limit on global species diversity and distribution, and increasing variability in global and regional climates have significant implications for species and habitat conservation. A Capture–Mark–Recapture study revealed that badger (Meles meles) life history parameters interact in complicated ways with annual variability in the seasonality of temperature and rainfall, both in absolute and in phenological terms. A strong predictive relationship was observed between survival and both temperature and late‐summer rainfall. This link at the population dynamics level was related to individual body‐weight increases observed between summer and autumn. In addition, fecundity was correlated with spring rainfall and temperature. We investigated and confirmed that relationships were consistent with observed variation in the intensity of a parasitic infection. Finally, fecundity during any given year correlated with conditions in the preceding autumn. Badger survival also correlated with late winter weather conditions. This period is critical for badgers insofar as it coincides with their peak involvement in road traffic accidents (RTAs). RTA rate during this period was linked strongly to temperature, underlining the intricate ways in which a changing climate might interact with anthropogenic agents to influence species' population processes. Equinoctial conditions produced significant population driver effects. That is, while summers will always be relatively warm compared with winters, spring and autumn weather can be more variable and functionally delimit the ‘productive’ vs. nonproductive period of the year in terms of badger behavioural and physiological cycles. This study highlights how appropriately informed conservation strategies, mindful of trends in climatic conditions, will become ever‐more essential to ensure the survival of many species globally.

Visual function survey of commercial intercity vehicle drivers in Ilorin, Nigeria

Objective: To determine the prevalence of visual impairment among commercial intercity vehicle drivers (CIVDs) in Ilorin, Nigeria. Design: A cross-sectional descriptive study. Participants: Among the estimated 450 drivers operating in 5 motor parks for CIVDs in Ilorin, 399 drivers participated in the study. Methods: A structured questionnaire was administered at the motor parks to consecutive and consenting drivers, and basic ocular examinations were done. Results: Using the Federal Road Safety Commission's requirement for commercial drivers in Nigeria, the prevalence of drivers with inadequate visual acuity (VA) was determined to be 11.5%, and 3.3% had monocular blindness. The prevalence of abnormal colour vision and visual field loss was 4.3% and 5.5%, respectively. There was no statistically significant relationship between visual impairment (VA and visual fields) and involvement in road traffic accidents (p > 0.05). Uncorrected refractive error, cataract, and glaucoma were the commonest causes of visual defects. Three hundred thirty-seven drivers (84.5%) did not have their eyes tested at first licensing and 370 drivers (92.7%) did not have testing at least once during renewals. Conclusions: A significant number of CIVDs in Ilorin are operating with VA that is far below the expected for their class of licence, and another unacceptably high percentage did not undergo any form of ocular examination prior to obtaining their driving licence. There is a need for renewed efforts to enforce a compulsory basic ocular examination for all prospective commercial drivers, and to ensure that the visual requirement for driving is met.

Frequent Detection of Benzodiazepines in Drugged Drivers in Norway

Objective. To describe the Norwegian system for handling suspected drugged driving cases according to an impairment-based law, with primary focus on benzodiazepines (BZDs), blood concentrations and combination with other psychoactive compounds. Methods. Routines for handling suspected driving under the influence of drugs other than alcohol are described. These include primary police investigation, blood sampling, and clinical tests of impairment performed by a police physician, a standard analytical program covering the most relevant illegal drugs and medicines relevant to traffic safety (approximately 25 compounds), and expert witness statements prepared for the court. The drug use patterns, blood drug concentrations, and frequency of multi-drug use have been recorded, with primary focus on benzodiazepines (BZDs). Use of BZDs among apprehended drivers has been compared with patient prescriptions recorded for the same BZDs. Results. One or more drugs have been detected in approximately 80% of the cases received for analysis every year. BZDs have been the most prevalent drugs and have been detected in 38–57% of the cases, which is more frequent than other common illegal drugs; e.g., tetrahydrocannabinol (THC; 30–43%) and amphetamine (33–39%). The majority of the BZDs have been detected at supratherapeutic blood concentrations and frequently in combination with illegal drugs, other psychoactive medicines, or alcohol. Less than 5% of the BZDs (except for nitrazepam – 7.6%) have been found to be the only drug present at therapeutic blood levels. The majority of the drivers were 20–39 years old (median age 29–33), while the majority of BZDs prescribed were to users over 50 years of age. Conclusions. Drivers with BZD detected are probably not representative of ordinary patients with BZD prescriptions, as shown by the age disparity of drivers and patients. The frequent detection of BZDs suggests that these compounds should be included in the analytical program used for blood samples from apprehended drivers and for studies on drug involvement in road traffic accidents and risk calculations.

The Impact of Social and Psychological Factors on Car accidents in Kuwait

AbstractThe objective of study was to identify select demographic, driving habits, aggressive driving, road rage and risk factors associated with involvement in road traffic accidents (RTAs) among young Kuwaiti drivers. Logistic linear regression tests these factors according to the Modified Youth Risk Behavior scales. The total sample of this study was 1619 Kuwaiti drivers, aged 18–30 years. The source for the sample consisted of self‐reported young drivers who were selected from high schools and universities in the six governorates in Kuwait. For the purposes of this study, the author defined cases (N=984) as drivers who reported being involved in a car crash during their lifetime. Controls (N=635) were identified as those drivers who were never involved in a car crash during the same period. The sample was selected during an eight‐month period, from November 2004 to June 2005.Logistic linear regression results showed that driving habits, aggressive driving, and road rage situations would result in high rates in sensation, anxiety and anger, which leads to risky driving behavior (e.g. drivers forcing a car off the road, deliberate obstruction, running red lights, running stop signs, and tailgating), which leads to involvement in traffic accidents.

Taxi Service Characteristics and Involvement in Road Traffic Accidents in Riyadh

Riyadh, the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is a modern fast growing city of some three million people. While some elements of the transport system have developed to a modern, up-to-date standard, other elements are still in a state of transition. Taxi service, while always an important part of the transportation system, has experienced many changes over the past decade. Available information seems to indicate that taxis are involved in a disproportionate number of traffic accidents, when compared with other vehicles operating on the same roadway system. This study, however, found that this is not true when a measure of exposure is taken into account. This paper presents some of the basic characteristics of the taxi service operating in Riyadh and analyzes the types of accidents in which taxis are involved. The study is based upon a survey sample of both taxi drivers and taxi companies, as well as reported traffic accidents in which taxis were involved. The paper concludes with several recommendations for actions that would help reduce the number of taxi related traffic accidents.

Psychological consequences of road traffic accidents in children.

Questionnaire information about possible psychological changes in the months following their accident was obtained for 45 school age children who had attended an Accident and Emergency Department because of their involvement in road traffic accidents. Central nervous system involvement was rare in this group. Short-term psychological consequences were common, but even after 4-7 months 33% were considered by their parents to still have a moderate reaction and a further 11% were considered to be severely affected. The children had high levels of post-traumatic stress symptoms, particularly avoidance in over 50%. Travel anxiety was described in 39%, 23% were depressed and 14% highly anxious--features which were considered by parents to have appeared following the accident, often with increasing disturbance over time. Other apparent repercussions were nightmares and other sleep difficulties in 17%, accident related fears, irritability, anger and emotionally regressed behaviour. As head injury was very uncommon in this series, such psychological consequences were attributable to non-neurological factors. Parents had become more protective of their children and placed greater restrictions on their travel, causing conflict. Younger children, those who had not fully recovered from their accident injuries, and children who also had a parent involved in the same accident, were most at risk. Greater awareness of these psychological consequences of road traffic accidents is required on the part of parents and professionals. Prospective studies are also needed to delineate more precisely those at greatest risk and to assess the effectiveness of treatment approaches.

Decision-making style, driving style, and self-reported involvement in road traffic accidents.

In an exploratory postal survey of 711 drivers stratified by age, sex, annual mileage, and accident involvement, decision-making style was measured using a Decision-Making Questionnaire (DMQ) and driving style was assessed using a Driving Style Questionnaire (DSQ). Responses to 21 items of the DMQ formed seven independent and internally coherent dimensions according to a principal components (PC) analysis. These were labelled: control, thoroughness, instinctiveness, social resistance, hesitancy, perfectionism, and idealism. PC analysis also revealed that responses to 15 items of the DSQ formed six independent dimensions of driving style. These were labelled: speed, calmness, social resistance, focus, planning, and deviance. Multiple regression analysis indicated that drivers of 60 years and under who scored lower on thoroughness were at greater risk of a traffic accident and that this relationship was mediated by faster driving. This relationship was independent of age, sex, annual mileage and all other factors measured. In the drivers over 60 years, lower thoroughness, greater hesitancy, and faster driving were independently associated with higher accident rates independent of all other factors measured. The results provide preliminary support for the view that people import aspects of their general decision-making style into the driving situation, and that in so doing they put themselves at differential risk of having a road traffic accident.

The effects of road traffic accidents on driving behaviour

Questionnaires about the effects of accidents on subsequent driving behaviour were sent to 869 people admitted consecutively to a general hospital as a result of involvement in road traffic accidents 4–6 years previously. There were 418 (48 per cent) replies, 67 per cent of delivered questionnaires. One-fifth of the motorcyclists had stopped using a motorcycle. Nearly one-half the motorcyclists and vehicle drivers reported that they now drove more slowly and that they were more cautious. A considerable proportion of replies described emotional distress, avoidance and limitation of activities. Lack of confidence in driving was common immediately after the accident. After 4–6 years, one-third of respondents reported that they still suffered specific anxiety about the place of the accident and about situations similar to the accident. Many people were anxious about being passengers. The findings have implications for road safety, for the recognition and management of a common, and often disabling, clinical problem, and for the assessment of disabilities in medical reports for compensation proceedings.

Police Records and Accidents Involving Alcohol

To explore the meaningfulness, validity and representativeness of available police records on alcohol involvement in road traffic accidents, an experienced police officer interviewed personnel and ...