Pedestrian Fatalities and Injuries Involving Irish Older People

This article reports on a study that focused on the pattern of pedestrian road traffic accidents (RTAs) in Ireland over a five-year period. The authors had the goal of identifying differences between older pedestrians (aged 65 or older) and younger adults, noting that older pedestrians are a vulnerable group and fewer analyses have been undertaken of the phenomenology of their injuries and fatalities. The study used the datasets of the Irish National Road Authority (now the Road Safety Authority) from 1998–2002. The authors analyzed patterns of crashes involving older pedestrians (aged 65) and compared them with younger adults (aged 18–64). Results: Older people represented 36% (n = 134) of pedestrian fatalities and 23% of serious injuries while they only account for 19% of total RTAs. The authors found that mortality in RTA is more than doubled for older pedestrians compared to younger adults. Paradoxically, most accidents involving older pedestrians happen in daylight with good visibility (56%) and in good weather conditions (77%). The authors conclude that this may point to a need for prevention strategies that are targeted at the traffic environment and other road users rather than at older people themselves. A final section briefly discusses the potential uses of new technologies to increase pedestrian safety, particularly in crosswalks.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/0304324X
• Authors:
  • Martin, Alan
  • O'Neill, D
  • Hand, E B
  • Trace, F
• Publication Date: 2010

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 266-271
• Serial:
  • Gerontology
  • Volume: 56
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: Karger (S) AG
  • ISSN: 0304-324X
  • EISSN: 1423-0003
  • Serial URL: http://www.karger.com/Journal/Home/224091

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aged; Fatalities; Highway safety; Injury severity; Pedestrian safety; Pedestrian vehicle crashes; Pedestrians; Risk assessment; Safety education; Traffic crashes; Visibility; Weather conditions
• Geographic Terms: Ireland
• Subject Areas: Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01340922
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 26 2011 10:29AM