The Need to Improve Information on Road User Type in National Vital Statistics System Mortality Data

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 the understanding of how these groups may be similar to occupant road user deaths. Using data from 1999 to 2015, the authors compared NVSS and FARS MVC death counts by road user type, overall and by age group, gender, and year. In addition, the authors 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. 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. The 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.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.1080/15389588.2019.1576036
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/49192340
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This work was authored as part of the Contributor's official duties as an Employee of the United States Government and is therefore a work of the United States Government. In accordance with 17 USC. 105, no copyright protection is available for such works under US Law.
• Authors:
  • Mack, Karin A
  • Hedegaard, Holly
  • Ballesteros, Michael F
  • Warner, Margaret
  • Eames, James
  • Sauber-Schatz, Erin
• Publication Date: 2019-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: References;
• Pagination: pp 276-281
• Serial:
  • Traffic Injury Prevention
  • Volume: 20
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: Taylor & Francis
  • ISSN: 1538-9588
  • Serial URL: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/15389588.html

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Age groups; Crash characteristics; Crash injuries; Data quality; Fatalities; Gender
• Identifier Terms: Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Vital Statistical System (Canada)
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01712581
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 26 2019 11:52AM