Traffic injury prevention
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Traffic injury prevention · Jan 2012
Impact of age, location, and bicycle style on helmet usage by adults.
Our objective was to describe current patterns of bicycle helmet usage in a university community using a direct observation approach. ⋯ College-age riders, riders on campus, and those riding a city or leisure-style bike are less likely to wear a helmet. Health promotion efforts aimed at increasing helmet usage should target these groups.
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This study deals with deaths during the period 2004 to 2009 that occurred during the use of a vehicle known as pat-pat, which is an unusual vehicle, similar to a tractor-trailer used in agricultural production and transportation The records of crime scene investigation and autopsies of 28 cases of death due to pat-pat-related crushes were evaluated. Of all cases, 60.7 percent were drivers and the remaining 39.3% were passengers. The most common cause of death (in 39.3% of cases) was brain-spinal cord injury due to blunt trauma of the head and neck. Implementing legislation regarding safety measures or limitation of the use for transportation should be performed for pat-pats, of which thousands are currently in use.
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Traffic injury prevention · Dec 2011
Road traffic injuries in the People's Republic of China, 1951-2008.
Road traffic injuries (RTIs) have become the leading cause of injury deaths in China. This article analyzed the trends in all crashes, nonfatal injuries, and fatalities from road traffic crashes from 1951 to 2008 and compared the crash frequency, crash severity, and crash patterns by provinces, types of road, and injured road users. ⋯ Road traffic injuries have become a burgeoning public health problem in China. Programs need to be developed to prevent nonfatal injuries and fatalities caused by road traffic crashes in this emerging country.
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Traffic injury prevention · Dec 2011
Controlled Clinical TrialEvaluation of insight training of ambulance drivers in Sweden using DART, a new e-learning tool.
The aim of the study was to evaluate whether a new e-learning tool for insight training of ambulance drivers can have an effect on drivers' driving behaviors, perceived driving competence, competence to assess risks, self-reflection, and safety attitudes. ⋯ After insight training, the ambulance drivers in this study assessed themselves as safer drivers in several important areas, including speed adaptation, closing up, and overtaking. In future training of ambulance drivers there should be more focus on insight training instead of previous training focusing on maneuvering capabilities.
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Traffic injury prevention · Dec 2011
Comparative StudyDiurnal variation and injury due to motor vehicle crashes in older trauma patients.
By 2030 it is expected the elderly will comprise 25 percent of the drivers in the United States. It is also estimated that currently in the United States alone, 500 older adults are injured each day in motor vehicle crashes (MVCs). Current research has not been able to consistently produce a direct connection between MVCs and specific age-related changes. It is speculated that crash rates are more likely linked to an interaction between driver characteristics and driving conditions as well as the driving environment. Sundowner's syndrome occurs in older drivers starting in the late afternoon through early evening (generally between 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm) and involves behaviors such as confusion, disorientation, and restlessness. The following retrospective study was designed to assess the frequency of older drivers admitted to a trauma service due to an MVC based on the time of day of the MVC compared to younger and middle-aged drivers. ⋯ The evidence of the early evening time period having a differential impact on older drivers is through a demonstration of an Injury Time Period × Age Category interaction. This interaction was found to substantiate the hypothesis that older drivers have a disproportionately higher rate of injury due to an MVC during the early evening time period than younger and middle-aged drivers. In identifying the early evening's time period as a time in which older drivers are more likely to experience injury from an MVC than younger and middle-aged drivers, we believe that our research adds insight into why age restrictions have not been successful in reducing crash rates in the older driver population. It is the compound effect of age-related changes and environmental conditions that contributes to the higher proportion of MVCs. Age restrictions alone do not take into account environmental conditions.