bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Crash fatality risk differences between access and non-access controlled highways in Pakistan: a low-income country
Authors: Sodhar I , Bhatti J , Khoso A , Shiekh N , Razzak J
Published: October 2012

Background

Urbanisation around highways is frequent in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) and can affect traffic safety negatively if it is inadequately-planned. Access control has shown to reduce significantly highway crashes in developed countries but explored to less extent in LMICs.

Aims/Objectives/Purpose

The study aimed to compare crash risk differences between an access-controlled highway sections with that of non-access controlled sections in Pakistan.

Methods

Using historical cohort design, crash fatality risk and pedestrian crash risks were compared between 397 km-long sections of access controlled Motorway 1&2 (M1&2) and 332-km-long non-access controlled road sections of N5 between cities of Attock and Lahore.

Results/Outcomes

Approximately 47 persons died per billion vehicle-km travelled on both types of road sections, a rate over ten times higher than that observed in France on similar roads. Pedestrian crash risks were significantly higher on non-access controlled road sections compared with access controlled road sections (Risk ratio=3.43, p<0.001, attributable risk proportion=70.1%) suggesting that access control might reduce over two-thirds of pedestrian crashes on highways in Pakistan.

Significance/significance to Field

High crash burden on highways indicated that vigorous efforts are required in legislating and enforcing international safety standards in Pakistan with regards to seat-belt or helmet use, vehicle checks, and educating safe road use to drivers and the population living around highways.
Effect of vehicle characteristics on crash severity: Portuguese experience
Authors: Guilhermina Torrão , Nagui Rouphail , Margarida Coelho
Published: October 2012

This research explores the crash severity for the population of crashes resulting in injuries and/or fatalities. Real world crash data were collected from the Portuguese Police Republican National Guard records for the Porto metropolitan area, for the period 2006–2011.

The goal of this study is the development of a crash-severity prediction model with application to crash analysis and prevention. The target is a binary variable, FatalSIK (=1 for severe crashes, 0 otherwise). In this paper, the effect of vehicle characteristics, such as weight, engine size, wheelbase and registration year (age of vehicle) were analysed with data mining methodology in order to extract patterns from the predictors and relate them to the occurrence of injuries and fatalities in a crash.

A predictive approach using Classification and Regression Trees (CART) was adopted. To conduct the analysis with high unbalanced data, oversampling followed by correction of prior probabilities for the original crash population was applied. For all crashes, the Weight of the Vehicle was the most important variable for tree split, and those crashes involving weight≥1743.5 kg were the most severe, (χ2p value<0.1382). For two vehicle crashes, weight was also the most important variable, followed by Speed. The highest percentage of severe crashes occurred in collisions involving heavier vehicles and in routes with higher speed, (χ2p value<0.0017). For the single vehicle crashes, the highest percentage of severe crashes involving a vehicles with a larger engine size (ccV1≥1588 cm3) and those that were older (AgeV1≥4.5), (χ2p value<0.056).
Through flashing speed limit signage to control vehicle speed limit for entering school zone
Authors: Lin (Fannie) Wang , Minyan (Monica) Cui
Published: October 2012

Background

1. 35 000 children under 14 are injured from RTA annually in China, four out of 10 are pedestrians, 70% students walk to school.

2. Speed increases 1 kilo, injury incidence increases 3%.

3. School zone speed limit is 30 kilo in China. However, it is often ignored by drivers.

Objectives

Exploring a measure to enhance the speed limit signage visibility in school zone and could be used friendly by schools.

Methods

1. Three schools in a community with a higher RTA incidence were identified.

2. The baseline of vehicle speed entering the school zone was recorded by observers, 30 min for each observation (morning, noon and afternoon), when children to and off school.

3. A movable intervention speed limit flashing light was developed to enhance the speed limit signage visibility and was set for 50 m seen by drivers before entering school zone.

4. Vehicle speed was recorded again with the intervention in the same way as the baseline.

Results

1. 2400 vehicles' speed was recorded in the baseline and with the intervention respectively.

2. The baseline shows 1431 vehicles over 30 kilo; among which 608 vehicles over 40 kilo.

3. The intervention shows 769 vehicles over 30 kilo, a 46.4% drop; among which 255 vehicles over 40 kilo, a 58.1% drop.

Conclusions

1. Vehicle speed limit for the school zone could be controlled by enhancing speed limit signage visibility.

2. The intervention with a movable speed limit flashing light on-and-off school is practical for school use.
‘Training injury and violence prevention professionals to influence transportation decisions’
Authors: Wiliams A , Porter J
Published: October 2012

Background

A strong connection exists between transportation decisions and the health of communities. Thus, it is essential for injury and violence prevention (IVP) practitioners to effectively participate in transportation decision-making. In early 2011, the Safe States Alliance conducted a workshop to:

• ‘Make the case’ for integrating injury issues in transportation planning;

• Understand the process, policies, and players in transportation planning;

• Advance safe transportation policies and design within state, regional and local transportation agencies;

• Enhance partnerships; and

• Increase state and local capacity to promote safety in planning and design.

Methods

Prior to the training, attendees were asked to complete homework including a task about transportation planning, a pre-training evaluation, and a ‘Personal Action Plan (PAP).’ PAPs were to include policies or changes that participants anticipated addressing using injury prevention strategies. Following the training event, participants were given a post-training evaluation and encouraged to update and strengthen their PAPs based on new information obtained from the training.

Results

Respondents reported gaining more knowledge of and comfort with every objective they were asked to rate. For example, 94% of participants indicated they felt more ‘prepared and comfortable with reaching out to and building new/stronger partnerships with transportation planning and traffic engineering agencies.’ Nearly all post-evaluation respondents indicated that they better understood and were more comfortable with all of the topics addressed in the training.

Conclusions or Significance

Once equipped with the necessary information, IVP professionals can be empowered to effectively influence transportation decisions at state and local levels.
Transportation safety issues: the student experience and their solutions
Authors: Wood G , Lalor P
Published: October 2012

Millions of people each day move from their home to a place of work, a school, shop, or to engage in social and or leisure activity. Experts examine this flow and the volume and efficiency of these movements to understand and cater for an increasing population growth and displacement. As people, goods and vehicles move there are inherent risks of delay and injury. The associated health issues were identified, examined and solutions proposed. This unique study carried out by students at several schools and across multiple ages sought to learn if the student own transport experience constructs a different view than that of the experts and if different solutions might emerge. Two hundred young people (Average age 11–12 years) were divided into 13 work groups.

Each group examined an aspect of transport within the Auckland North region (New Zealand: North Shore-Rodney). With the mentor of older students (17–18 years) the groups examined closely the safe transit of: cars, pedestrian, school buses, bicycle of roads, etc. Each group worked within a wiki environment and surveyed users and expertise. Findings and recommendations will be reported at the World Injury Prevention Conference in October 2012. Close examination through student eyes is expected to provide a better understanding of urban transport related hazards and their prevention. The students acknowledge the kind assistance of Ms Kelly Strong and Ms Toni Dale, Auckland Transport.
Social autopsy: a community based intervention in preventing road traffic injuries—experience from Bangladesh
Authors: Baset MK , Towner E , Mashreky SR , Rahman A , Biswas A , Rahman A K M F
Published: October 2012

Introduction

In developing countries, people have social and behavioural misperceptions about injury deaths. Social Autopsy is a process of examining social errors related to injury deaths to determine why they occurred and how they could be prevented by increasing awareness in the community.

Objective

To utilise social autopsy for identifying achievable measures to prevent road traffic injury deaths.

Target Audience of Social Autopsies

Decision makers in the family, Caretaker of the children, Local leaders.

Principles of Social Autopsy:

• Analyse socially correct behaviours and errors

• Provide positive reinforcement for appropriate behaviours

• Active community participation

• Constructive, supportive facilitation

• Lack of victim blaming

• Conduct immediately after the death

Methods

Seventy-seven social autopsies for road traffic injury deaths were conducted in Raiganj, Bangladesh from 2006—2010. About 4000 villagers attended the autopsies. At the start the deceased's family member(s) described the event to the target audience; the facilitator initiated the discussion using standardised protocols and expanded, encouraged and kept the discussion on track to explore the social errors. Recommendations and decisions were made for injury prevention.

Recommendations

• Children should be supervised during road use

• Children should not play on the roadside

• Children should be informed about road use from school and family.

• Pedestrians should take care while crossing the road

• Nobody should travel on ‘Nosimon’ (locally-made unauthorised vehicle)

Conclusions

Social Autopsy is a process through which social errors related to the road traffic injury deaths can be elicited and appropriate preventive measures can be identified.
Proposal for a road safety indicator based on origin-destination survey: the problem of indicators in developing countries
Authors: Bonilla-Escobar FJ , Gutierrez-Martínez MI
Published: October 2012

Background

Analyses of indicators of health events are the main input to recognise a public health problem. Colombia does not have robust indicators of Road Traffic Mortality, and being a developing country, traffic events become important, and alternatives indicator are the key to provide guidance for public policy on road safety.

Aims/Objectives/Purpose

To analyse an indicator of road traffic mortality based on a denominator from origin-destination survey in Cali, Colombia.

Methods

Deaths Rate per Trips made by User (DRTU) corresponds to the rate of deaths established by the quotient of the number of deaths over number of trips per year and type of user (DRTU=(deaths/trips)×10.000 000)).

Results/Outcomes

We calculated mortality rates for the period 2005 to 2010. The motorcyclists have the biggest DRTU, and this varied from 8.4 to 12.2 deaths×10.000.000 travels from 2005 to 2010, in pedestrians from 5.3 to 3.9, cyclists from 4.1 to 3.4, and drivers from 1.2 to 1.6. The classical indicator (which denominator is the total population), shows that the higher risk population are pedestrians, while the proposed indicator shows that the higher risk population are motorcyclists.

Significance/Contribution to the Field

The study of indicators in road traffic events contributes to the recognition of vulnerable populations and their risk. The proposed indicator shows a different road user as the most vulnerable. This is an option for countries without a census of the population of road users. This problem should be considered in order to establish public health policy.
Potential for lives saved by the road safety in 10 countries (RS-10) project interventions in five Brazilian cities
Authors: Seiffert B , Chandran A , Li Q , Sousa TRV , Pechansky F , Hyder AA
Published: October 2012

Background

The Road Safety in 10 Countries (RS10) project aims to improve road safety in Brazil by reducing drinking and driving (DWI) and excessive speeding. In 2010, 1086 road traffic deaths occurred in five intervention cities; estimated effectiveness on reducing deaths are 29% for speed reduction and 42% for DWI reduction. Implementing effective interventions has tremendous potential to save lives.

Aims/Objectives/Purpose

To estimate the potential number of lives saved by the RS10 project in Brazil from 2012 through 2014.

Methods

Mortality data from 2010 were extracted from Brazil's Mortality Information System (SIM). Prevalence of risk factor behaviours was collected in 2011 and 2012 in Palmas and Teresina and then projected to Belo Horizonte, Campo Grande, and Curitiba. The post-intervention mortality was projected using varied reductions in risk factor prevalences.

Results/Outcome

Decreases in the prevalence of DWI from a baseline prevalence of 10% to potential future prevalence rates of 8%, 5% or 2% could eliminate 44, 110, or 176 deaths respectively over a 3 year period. If the baseline rate of speeding are reduced from 30% to 25%, 20%, or 15% then 59, 118, or 178 deaths could be averted during the same period.

Significance/Contribution to the Field

Interventions undertaken by RS10 have the potential to save as many as 354 lives (or 10.9% of annual deaths) in the five intervention cities given moderate success. The effect of interventions on risk factors behaviour should be monitored and the interventions adapted frequently to maximise their effectiveness in order to save as many lives as possible.
Impact of a national multifaceted road safety intervention programme in Mexico: results and implications from a time-series analysis
Authors: Chandran A , Pérez-Núñez R , Bachani A , Híjar MM , Bishai D , Hyder AA
Published: October 2012

Background

Mexico faces a substantial road traffic (RT) injury and mortality burden. In January 2008, a national multifaceted road safety intervention programme (IMESEVI) funded by the Bloomberg Philanthropies was launched in Mexico. Two years later, IMESEVI was refocused as part of a 10-country international consortium demonstration project.

Aims/Objectives/Purpose

We evaluate the effect of each phase of the road safety intervention project on numbers of RT crashes and deaths in the two main target cities of Guadalajara-Zapopan and León.

Methods

An interrupted time series analysis using autoregressive integrated moving average modelling was performed using monthly data of numbers and rates of RT crashes (police data) and deaths (mortality system data) from 1999–2011 with dummy variables representing each intervention phase.

Results/Outcome

In the period following the first intervention phase in both cities, the rate and number of RT crashes decreased significantly (p<0.001); there was no significant change in RT deaths in Leon (p=0.957 for number, p=0.324 for rate) or Guadalajara-Zapopan (p=0.993 for number, p=0.985 for rate). There were also no significant differences in RT crash or death rate or number following the second intervention phase.

Significance/Contribution to the Field

This study suggests that a multi-faceted road safety intervention programme can be effective in reducing road crashes in a low-income country setting; it is hoped that with time, an impact will also be observed in road traffic mortality. Further analysis is needed to differentiate effects of various interventions, and to determine what other economic and political factors might have affected this change.
Risk factors for road traffic injuries among school children in rural Bangladesh
Authors: Baset MK , Towner E , Noor T , Rahman A , Mashreky SR , Rahman AKMF
Published: October 2012

Introduction

Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are a major health problem internationally, causing illness, deaths and disabilities among young people. Research on RTIs in developing countries has been limited.

Objective

The objective of the study is to investigate risk factors for RTIs in school children.

Method

We surveyed 845 grade IV &V students (aged 9–12 years) in Raiganj using a survey questionnaire. The survey was conducted in 15 primary schools.

Result

The prevalence of risk factors for RTIs among school children were estimated. The results from the 820 completed questionnaires were: 18.8% reported they had RTIs in the last 12 months and most of these incidents occurred on the school journey (after school). Boys reported RTIs 1.61 times more than girls (95% CI 1.35 to 1.91). More than 80% of the travellers to and home from school were pedestrians and boys were more likely to travel on their own and girls to travel with peers. Pedestrian were exposed to greater risk than vehicle user in journeys to (relative risk 1.13 (95% CI 1.06 to 1.20) and home from school (relative risk 1.15 (95% CI 1.09 to 1.22). Younger children were more at risk on journeys after school (relative risk 0.8316 (95% CI 0.6607 to 1.0467). 60% reported they had received no information regarding road use.

Conclusions

The results are in accordance with the high rates of RTIs and huge exposure of risk factors among school children, reinforcing the need for integrated inter-sectoral actions, including training and awareness rising among school children.
Active transport to school among adolescents in Otago: personal and family perceptions of safety
Authors: Sophia Leon De La Barra , Emily Stevens , Paula Skidmore , Sandra Mandic
Published: October 2012

Background

With increasing prevalence of sedentary lifestyle and less time dedicated to physical education and free play in youth, there is a greater need to promote other opportunities for physical activity, such as active transport (AT).

Aims

This study examines individual and school-related factors associated with AT—walking and cycling—to school among adolescents in Otago, New Zealand.

Methods

In 2009, a total of 1726 secondary school students (age: 15.1±1.1 years; 68.5% urban; 51.6% boys) from 19 of 23 schools in the Otago Region completed the online Otago School Students Lifestyle Survey. Data collected included usual mode of transport to school, sociodemographic and behavioural information, social support for AT, and personal and family perceptions of safety when using AT.

Results

Overall, 36.6% of secondary students used AT and 63.4% used motorised transport (MT) to school. Boys were more likely than girls to use AT to get to school (39.3% boys vs 33.8% girls, p=0.024). Regional status was also a predictor of AT to school (46.1% rural vs 32.2% urban students, p<0.001). Overall, 63.7% of students believed taking a bus was safer than walking or cycling (61.0% AT vs 64.6% MT, p=0.244). Other factors influencing transport choices to school were parental perceptions of safety (91.5% AT vs 84.3% MT, p<0.001) and encouragement from friends (47.9 AT vs 21.3% MT, p<0.001).

Significance

Boys and rural students are more likely to use AT to school. The greatest barriers to AT were safety concerns and lack of peer support.
Bicyclists' violations—automobile drivers' fault? simultaneous increases in population-level bicycle violation and safety in a complex adaptive system of social traffic behaviour
Authors: Martin EV , Torabi MR , Robbin A
Published: October 2012

Background

Bicyclists famously flout traffic rules, sometimes causing collisions with automobiles. Some research suggests that road users adapt to each other's behaviour, reducing conflicts. However, few bicycle safety studies investigate potential mechanisms of change in bicyclists' behaviour and safety outcomes. None examines the implications of drivers' well-known stereotypes of bicyclists.

Aims/Objectives/Purpose

This agent-based model (ABM) explores the relationships among inter-group stereotype valence, learning-based behavioural adaptation, and population-level safety outcomes in a population of majority automobiles and minority bicycles.

Methods

In this ABM, automobile and bicycle (‘agents’) pairs meet randomly at stop sign intersections. Agents have continuous, normally distributed scores representing ‘trust’ that bicycles and automobiles, respectively, will follow the turn-taking stop sign rule. To avoid collisions, agents follow the rule (‘compliance’) only when they trust that the other will also. Others' noncompliance decreases trust while compliance increases trust. In initial conditions, automobiles disproportionately mistrusted bicycles, but bicycles' trust/mistrust of automobiles was evenly split. We analysed stop sign encounters in which automobiles arrived first and bicycles second.

Results/Outcome

Repeated random encounters tended to create positive feedback in which bicycles increasingly violated and automobiles increasingly deferred defensively to bicycles, while conflicts declined to zero at equilibrium. In addition, the size of the bicycle minority was related to the probability of an all-compliance equilibrium.

Significance/Contribution to the Field

In a plausible world where road users hold outgroup stereotypes, learn, and adapt their behaviour, majority automobile drivers' stereotypes of bicyclists may affect bicyclists' behaviour and safety outcomes. Policies accounting for stereotyping and learning processes may enhance both rule compliance and safety outcomes.
Using GIS to assess pedestrian safety in Delhi
Authors: Rankavat S , Tiwari G
Published: October 2012

Background

Walking is the most sustainable and most used mode of transportation in Indian cities. From 2006–2009, an estimated 8503 fatalities due to accident occurred in Delhi in which pedestrians contribute almost 51% to the total road crash fatalities. Pedestrian high crash locations have to be identified to implement problem specific pedestrian safety countermeasures so as to improve pedestrian safety.

Objective

The main objective of this work was to investigate the potential of utilising geographic information systems (GISs) in identifying hazardous pedestrian accident-prone locations.

Methodology

Crash data for the years 2006–2009 were obtained from the traffic police, and were geocoded in ArcGIS over the digitised road map of Delhi. Kernel Density functions available in the spatial analyst extension of the ArcGIS software was used to identify hazardous locations of vehicle-pedestrian accidents in Delhi during 4 years 2006–2009. GIS-based queries were used to visualise crash data at the microscopic level.

Results

Results showed that there was a high potential for GIS in studying accidents and highlighted five pedestrian fatal hotspot locations in Delhi. The analysis showed that the pedestrian fatalities at arterial intersections caused by private cars and buses were found to be 27% and 14% of all fatalities occurred by them on arterial roads respectively.

Conclusions

Findings can be used to understand the correlation between built environment and pedestrian safety, to prioritise the high-density zones for intervention efforts, and to formulate research hypotheses for investigating pedestrian crashes.
Walkable but unsafe? a systematic review of built environment correlates of walking and child pedestrian injury
Authors: Rothman L , Macarthur C , Buliung R , To T , Howard A
Published: October 2012

Background

A well-established body of walkability literature examines the correlates of walking in children; however, correlates of child pedestrian injury are less understood. Walkability does not necessarily imply safety. Built environment conditions for safe walking must be defined so that increased walking does not lead to increased pedestrian injury.

Objective

To identify modifiable features of the built environment related to both walking and pedestrian injury in children.

Methods

A systematic literature review across 10 electronic databases from 1980-Feb, 2012 sought statistically significant associations between built environment factors and either walking or safety in urban children 4–12, in Western countries. Environmental features were grouped into those that increased or decreased walking and improved or worsened safety.

Results

Thirty-seven pedestrian injury and 50 walking papers met the inclusion criteria. Traffic lights and calming devices and the presence of recreational areas and playgrounds were related to more and safer walking. Eight features were related to more walking and less safe pedestrian outcomes. The majority of built environment features had inconsistent associations with either walking or injury, or had not been tested for either one of the outcomes. Well designed controlled experimental studies are lacking examining the built environment and walking or injury in children.

Significance

These results reflect current knowledge and can be used to inform future injury prevention evaluations relate to safe walking promotion in children. Walkability features must be assessed against safety criteria in order to optimise the pedestrian environment for children.
Pedestrian injury profile in Lagos (Nigeria)—the third most densely populated city in Africa
Authors: Solagberu BA , Balogun RA , Mustafa IA , Ibrahim NA , Oludara MA , Ajani AO , Idowu EO
Published: October 2012

Background

Pedestrians are vulnerable road users worldwide, but more African governments are setting up Safety Commissions.

Objectives

To examine the current pedestrian injury profile in the third most densely populated city in Africa with dysfunctional transportation and poorly responsive healthcare delivery system.

Methods

Emergency Room records were collated for 3 months prospectively for all pedestrians injured and brought to the busiest tertiary hospital centre in Lagos, Nigeria, (Lagos State University Teaching Hospital). Parameters checked included biodata, mechanism, location, and regions of injury; and outcome among others.

Results

Pedestrians were 214 (M: F=2.2 : 1, peak age 21–30 years) including students (22.9%), self- (23.4%) and government-employed (10%) persons. Vehicles involved include motorcycles (29.4%), buses (29.0%) and cars (23.4%). Pedestrians were injured on highways (55.6%), in the inner city (42.1%)—knocked down while crossing (55.1%), walking by pavement (21.5%), standing by bus stop (10.7%), at home-area (6.1%) and others (6.5%). Regions injured mostly were the head (39.3%), lower limb (30.4%) and multiple regions (15%). Patients were brought by relatives 43.0%, bystanders 29.3%, self 13.1%, ambulance 5.2%, and police 5.6%. Fifty-nine of the 80 lower limb injuries were fractures (73.8%). Twenty eight patients (13.1%) died, 10 of them brought-in-dead while 64 patients (29.9%) were transferred to another hospital.

Significance

Discounting the 29.9% patients referred; death rate was 28 in 150 (18.7%) meaning 1 in 5 injured pedestrians died. This could be one of the highest pedestrian death rates in the world; profile strongly emphasises continuous need for injury prevention by all stakeholders.
Booster seat use: individual, parent–child relationship and neighbourhood characteristics
Authors: Sarit shimony-Kanat , Rosa Gofin
Published: October 2012

Background

Despite child car restraint use recommendations, the use of booster seats in most countries is low. Research has mostly focused on demographic determinants and parental knowledge and behaviour regarding car safety. Child traits and parent–child relationships regarding child booster seat use has seldom been studied.

Aims

To analyse car booster seat use for children between the ages of 6–8 by:

• Child and parents' characteristics: socio-demographic, child temperament and child independence, parents' car safety knowledge and behaviour.

• Parent–child relationship: parenting styles and parental supervision.

• Neighbourhood characteristics: education, income, and unemployment.

To analyse each determinant's unique contribution to booster seat use.

Methods

Elementary public schools (n=16) were randomly selected in two cities in Israel. First and second grade classes were selected in each school. Parents (n=754) answered a self-administrated questionnaire in September 2010. Characteristics of neighbourhood of residence were obtained from census data for multilevel analysis. The outcome variable was dichotomised into ‘Always’ booster seat use and ‘Other’ for categories of misuse.

Results

Booster seat use was reported by 57% of parents. Booster seat use was negatively associated with family size; it was positively associated with the driver's belting usage, parents' car safety knowledge and authoritative parenting (p<0.05). Intraclass Correlation Coefficient for booster seat use between neighbourhoods was 4.3% (p=0.004). The odds to booster seat use wasn't significantly different between neighbourhoods in multilevel analysis of neighbourhood characteristics.

Conclusions

Parent's knowledge, behaviour, and family size are the most influencing determinants on booster seat use.
Under-reported: child pedestrian road traffic injuries in Vietnam
Authors: Brondom L , Florian M
Published: October 2012

Background

Despite increased motorisation in Vietnam, walking remains an important mode of transport, particularly amongst children. Official 2011 statistics report 11 950 road traffic fatalities. However, they do not specify pedestrian injuries.

Objectives

The study aimed to assess the magnitude of child pedestrian road traffic injuries (RTI) in Dong Nai province, Vietnam.

Methods

Police and hospital data on RTI from 2010 to first quarter 2012 was analysed. Moreover, a survey collected information from approximately 6800 primary students in 2010 and 2011.

Results

Data sources show that RTI in Dong Nai have increased compared to 2010. Dong Nai General Hospital reports seven pedestrian RTI cases, all of which were under the age 16. Comparatively, one forth of RTI at the paediatric hospital were pedestrians. In 2011, 3% of students reported having been injured by a vehicle walking to and from school within 6 months; accounting for an estimated 5900 to 7800 primary students in Dong Nai.

Significance

Results indicate that official data sources do not capture the magnitude of pedestrian casualties in Dong Nai, Vietnam. Reliable estimates of these indicators are essential to guide policy and intervention, and for evaluation purposes. Data indicates that children under 16 are at greatest risk for pedestrian injury, suggesting schools as the key target for intervention. As implementer of SafeKids Vietnam, Asia Injury Prevention Foundation dedicates its efforts to addressing this issue.
Vulnerable users' deaths in Brazilian road safety 10 cities (RS-10)
Authors: Gonçalves VM , Chandran A , Seiffert BE , Souza TRV , Pechansky F
Published: October 2012

Background

In Brazil since 2006, deaths among Vulnerable Road Users (VRU) have made up more than half of all traffic-related deaths, with 51.1% of all deaths in 2010 occurring among motorcyclists, pedestrians, and bicyclists. We investigated mortality rates among motorcyclists and pedestrians in five state capitals targeted by a global road safety initiative.

Objective

To evaluate road traffic fatalities among VRU in five Brazilian cities from 2000 to 2010, describing demographic trends among victims.

Methods

Mortality data were obtained from the Ministry of Health, compiled using ICD-10 codes (V01–V89), subcategorised by VRU type and disaggregated by gender, age, and city.

Results

The five cities represent 18.4% of total deaths occurred in capitals from 2000 to 2010. Mortality rates varied from 25.0 per 100 000 (Belo Horizonte) to 42 (Palmas), all above the national rate (21.5). Motorcyclist deaths increased by 288.4%, while pedestrian deaths fell by 5.6% over the decade. The highest pedestrian death rate was observed in Belo Horizonte (9.7/100 000, 39.8% cars/fleet, Gross National Product-GDP US$9679). The highest rate of deaths among motorcyclists occurred in Palmas (13.9 deaths/100 000, 13% motorcycles/fleet, GDP US$8364). Disaggregated by age, VRUs between 61 and 80 died at the highest rates.

Contribution to the Field

Given high proportion of road traffic fatalities that occur among VRU, policy implications can be gleaned from the results. Brazil's transit authorities vary from between states, so analysis of the burden of VRU deaths between capitals can be helpful in targeting interventions towards appropriate risk groups.
Study on the improvement of legal system for ensuring the safety of bicycle riders—the case of Seoul in Korea
Authors: Lim J , Hong J , Kim D , Lee S
Published: October 2012

Background

The bicycle is emerging as the most alternative green mode. Korea has encouraged bicycles-riding by extending bicycle paths and infrastructure after announcement of the ‘Act on Encouraging the Use of Bicycles’ in 1995. As the number of bicycle users has been increased, the number of bicycle-related traffic accidents has been increased too. But there are a few studies for bicycle safety.

Aims/Objectives/Purpose

The purpose of this study is improvement of legal systems for bicycle safety.

Methods

For it we reviewed the related laws in other countries and surveyed Seoul citizen about safety awareness. Targets of this survey are bicycle riders group on the bicycle path in the park and normal road. Each members of group are more than 150 persons.

Results/Outcomes

We find three main issues with this survey. (a) Compared to 52.1% of riders on the bicycle path in the park, just 12.1% of riders on the normal road put on helmets. (b) Most of them answer they feel annoying for putting on helmets. (c) 72% of riders answer they don't know about hand signal of bicycle. However, Korean laws of bicycle are mainly about facilities. But some country's laws include rules of bicycle safety equipment, the prohibition of rider's behaviour and penalties. With benchmarking laws, Korean legal system should include rules of safety.

Significance/Contribution to the Field

This study makes foundation of future Korean policy's direction about bicycle safety. Furthermore we expect that social ambience will be raised to use bicycle as a safety transport method.

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by a grant from the Transportation System Innovation Programme (TSIP) funded by the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs of the Korean government. (10 Transportation System-Future03).
Hidden increasing pedestrian fatality between 2006 and 2010 in China: findings from non-police-reported data
Authors: Hu G , Ma S , Zhou M
Published: October 2012

Background

The police-reported recent decrease in pedestrian fatality was questionable in terms of the serious under-reporting of police-reported data.

Aims/Objectives/Purpose

To examine changes in pedestrian fatality between 2006 and 2010 in China using Non-police-reported data.

Methods

A longitudinal study was conducted based on the mortality data during 2006–2010 from the Disease Surveillance Points data of China. Multivariate Poisson regression was used to control the effects of sex, age, and urban/rural. Mortality rate ratio (MRR) was used to quantify the increase in pedestrian fatality. ‘p<0.05’was selected as the statistically significant level.

Results/Outcomes

Between 2006 and 2010, the crude pedestrian fatality increased from 7.0 to 10.5 per 100 000 population. After controlling sex, age and urban/rural, the fatality increased by 44% in the research time period (adjusted MRR=1.11, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.11). Males had higher fatality rate than females (adjusted MRR=2.54, 95% CI 2.48 to 2.61); rural residents were 1.42 times urban residents dying as pedestrians (adjusted MRR=1.42, 95% CI 1.39 to 1.45). Selecting children less than 5 years as the reference, persons ages 5–14 years, 15–24 years, 25–59 years, and 60+ ages had the MRRs as 0.64, 1.42, 2.56, 5.52, respectively.

Significance/Contribution to the Field

The recent police-reported decrease in pedestrian fatality may not be true. Non-police-reported data should be applied to improve the quality of pedestrian injury data in China. The high-risk groups of pedestrian fatality—men, rural residents, old age groups, should be addressed in China's injury prevention action.
The pedestrians' risk behaviour in the traffic: experiences and beliefs and its consequences in the behaviour
Authors: Isoba María Cristina
Published: October 2012

Objective

Luchemos por la Vida, non-governmental and non-profit organisation, that studies and works in Argentina to prevent traffic accidents, decided to observe systematically the pedestrians' behaviour in avenues and streets of a city, Buenos Aires, to identify the most common risk behaviours and to define a massive awareness campaign to change the beliefs, attitudes and behaviour of this group, the most vulnerable in the traffic system. In the city of Buenos Aires, 44% of the people who die in the traffic are pedestrians.

Methodology

We selected representative samples of crossroads in the city and we registered observations of the behaviour of 3685 pedestrians. This information was complemented with focused interviews to know the motivations of the observed conducts.

Results

From the different observations carried out, we found that, on average, only 6% of the pedestrians cross in the correct way on street corners with traffic lights and without traffic lights, a very low rate of the traffic law observance. The focused interviews provided the most common motivations for these conducts.

Discussion and Conclusions

The results confirm what the traffic psychology explains as the chosen risk. Facing a low perception of the risk for probabilities learning and the perception of benefiting from crossing improperly, people chose this behaviour.

Based of the obtained results, we decided to develop an awareness campaign aimed at pedestrians, young and adult people, with the objective to increase the risk perception and to propose measures of self-protection.
TAUPO BICYCLE STUDY: FOLLOW UP RESPONSE, PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND INJURY OUTCOME
Authors: Tin S Tin , Woodward A , Ameratunga S
Published: October 2012

Background

Web-based surveys are increasingly used as a resource-efficient approach to collecting research data. However, potential biases which may underlie response rates have received little attention in this context.

Aims

This paper aimed to assess the associations between response to the first follow-up survey and baseline characteristics and injury outcomes in a cohort of cyclists.

Methods

Baseline information was collected at recruitment in 2006 (N=2438) and 2008 (N=190). A web-based follow-up survey was conducted in 2009/10. Injury outcome data were also collected through record linkage to insurance claims, hospital discharge and mortality data and police reports (covering the period from time of recruitment till 30 June 2011). Logistic regression models examined the association between baseline characteristics and response rates to the follow-up survey. Moreover, repeated event survival analysis was used to compare the risk of injury between responders and non-responders.

Results

Of 2590 participants who resided in New Zealand, three died before the follow-up survey and 1526 completed the questionnaire (59.0%). Older age group, female, higher level of education, greater number of years of cycling and cycling to work predicted higher response rates. Responders were more likely to have experienced bicycle crashes in general (adjusted hazard ratio (HR): 1.34; 95% CI: 1.19-1.50), on road crashes (adjusted HR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.19-1.62) and collisions with a motor vehicle (adjusted HR: 1.33; 95% CI: 1.15-1.54) during follow up.

Significance

Differential follow-up response rates by demographic and cycling characteristics, as well as crash involvement require particular consideration in studies using web- based longitudinal data.
Development and validation of a parent survey for reporting child injuries
Authors: Curry A. , Zonfrillo M , Myers R , Durbin D
Published: October 2012

Background

Medical record abstraction is considered the ‘gold standard’ method of ascertaining injury information, but can be time-consuming and costly.

Aims/Objectives/Purpose

To assess the ability of parents to identify (1) moderate and greater severity injuries and (2) serious injuries, overall and by body region, by comparing survey responses to hospital medical records.

Methods

Children ≤17 years treated for injuries at three emergency departments between 08/10 and 07/11 and their parents were eligible. Parents were randomised to either a telephone interview or self-administered survey at 2 weeks post-visit and asked to report child injuries to seven body regions. The Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) score was used to assign each child a body-region injury severity level of minor, moderate, or serious, generally corresponding to AIS scores of 1, 2 and >3.

Results/Outcomes

Of 798 parents enrolled in the study, 494 (61.9%) completed the survey. The overall sensitivity, reflecting the ability of parents to identify a documented moderate or serious injury, was 0.94 (95% CI 0.93 to 0.97). Sensitivities were >0.90 for the face and upper and lower extremity regions, 0.80–0.90 for head, abdomen, neck/back/spine regions, and <0.60 for the thorax region. Specificities for all body regions were ≥0.95. The overall sensitivity for identification of a serious injury (AIS>3) was 0.71 (0.60, 0.80).

Significance/Contribution to the Field

This survey enables parents to identify and characterise the body region and severity of their child's injuries and to differentiate between minor and more significant injuries. This survey may be particularly valuable in population-based studies of paediatric injuries.
Estimating the global burden of work-related fatal injury taking into account temporal changes
Authors: Driscoll T , Zhang Q , McGeechan K , Bryan-Hancock C
Published: October 2012

Background

As part of the new Global Burden of Disease initiative, estimates are required of work-related fatal injury for the years 1990 and 2005. Point estimates of fatal injury in most countries were available from a separate study for 2001.

Aims/Objectives/Purpose

This abstract describes the approach for estimating changes in fatality rate over time which could be applied to the 2001 data to provide the required estimates for 1990 and 2005.

Methods

Changes in rates over time were estimated using available published cohort data on work-related fatality rates, modelled using Poisson regression. These Poisson estimates were applied to the 2001 numbers to provide estimates for 1990 and 2005. These estimates of the total number of injuries for each Region and both years were distributed by sex and age. The age and sex distribution information was based on a meta-analysis of all sex-specific information available from the literature.

Results/Outcome

Virtually all regions for which there were data have shown a decline in fatality rates in the last two decades. The estimated decline in rates over time was 0.952 (95% CI 0.940 to 0.965) per year overall. This decline appeared smaller for developing regions (yearly decline=0.956 (95% CI 0.943 to 0.970)) compared to developed regions (yearly decline=0.935 (95% CI 0.904 to 0.96)) and differed considerably between some individual regions.

Significance/Contribution to the Field

Declines in fatality rate over time can be usefully modelled using Poisson approaches and are important to take into account when estimating injury burden at different times.
Video based methods for observing pedestrians behaviour
Authors: Forero A , Barrero L , Quiroga J , Calderän F , Quintana L
Published: October 2012

Aim

Understanding pedestrians' behaviour is a priority in the design of interventions to prevent vehicle-pedestrian conflicts. Observation of pedestrians can help describe and understand their choices, unintended errors and reactions to traffic circumstances. In this study, we developed a computer algorithm to conduct video-based automated analysis of pedestrian behaviour at an urban busy site in Bogota, Colombia.

Methods

Data collection was planned to videotape pedestrians as they crossed a selected road. A goal was set to develop an open-source inexpensive algorithm that allowed for the automated recording of pedestrian and vehicle positions and speeds. The algorithm aimed to assess vehicles' and pedestrians' instantaneous speeds, distance of pedestrian from proximate approaching vehicles, and pedestrian crossing through non-designated areas. Results were compared against visual observations.

Results

The developed algorithm was able to estimate, with up to 18% error, pedestrian traffic. The algorithm also recorded pedestrians' and vehicles' speed and pedestrian position in reference to moving vehicles throughout the crossing, with errors in distance of 0.3 m and a time resolution of 1/30 s. Over 24% of pedestrians crossed through non-designated areas. Pedestrians started the crossing on average at 5.5 m but as close as 0.3 m from moving vehicles, which approached pedestrians at an average speed of 16 km/h, but as fast as 45 km/h.

Conclusions

Video-based automated analysis of road safety conditions are feasible and can be successfully used to assess pedestrian behaviour in urban settings.
Bow Wow, Wolf Wolf: prevention and perception of dog bites
Authors: Franklin RC , Parison J , Watt K , Leggat P
Published: October 2012

Background

Humans and dogs have developed a mutually beneficial relationship that has spanned thousands of years. The evolution of society however, has changed the nature of human–dog relationship. Dog bites can cause serious injury and in some instances lead to death. Is it possible for humans and dogs to cohabitate without people being injured?

Aims/Objectives/Purpose

To explore the epidemiology of dog bite injury in Queensland, and community response to a fatal dog attack.

Methods

(1) Data on dog bite injuries between 1999 and 2010 were extracted from Queensland Injury Surveillance Unit (QISU), Emergency Department data. (2) Frequency and circumstances of dog bites in the population were investigated via the Queensland Social Survey (a state wide telephone survey of people 18 years+). (3) Community response to a fatal dog attack was examined through qualitative analysis of comments posted in response to a national newspaper article regarding a fatal dog attack 2011.

Results/Outcome

Between 1999 and 2011, 5680 patients were treated for a dog bite injury in Queensland EDs (8 per week). Not all EDs in Queensland are captured in the QISU database, so this is an underestimate. Almost half of these occurred in children (43%). Ten percent of participants in the QSS indicated someone in their household was bitten by a dog in the last 3 years. Of the 402 newspaper comments on the fatal dog attack themes included enforcement, government regulation and positives/negatives of banning specific breeds.

Significance/Contribution to the Field

This research explores the epidemiology of dog bite injury, and community perceptions regarding prevention strategies.