FATAL ROAD ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY SUDDEN DEATH OF THE DRIVER IN FINLAND AND VAUD, SWITZERLAND

The authors investigated the incidence of fatal traffic accidents caused by sudden incapacity of the driver due to cardiac and other illnesses. The retrospective analysis was gleaned from Finnish traffic accident data files from 1984-1989, and police records of traffic accidents, from Canton de Vaud, Switzerland from 1986-1989. The annual rates of all traffic fatalities per million inhabitants were 125 in Finland and 212 in Vaud. Sudden driver incapacity due to acute illness caused 1.8 and 7.8 automobile driver deaths annually per million inhabitants in Finland and in Vaud, respectively. The corresponding rates for all-cause traffic deaths were 326 and 423, for driver deaths 105 and 167, and for those due to driver incapacity 4.7 and 15.6. While this report relates to all drivers, there should be individual risk stratification for professional drivers with heart disease. Non-professional elderly drivers who have cardiac disease should limit their driving to short distances at low speed.

• Corporate Authors:

  Saunders (WB) Company Limited

  24-28 Oval Road
  London NW1 7DX,   United Kingdom 
• Authors:
  • Halinen, M O
  • Jaussi, A
• Publication Date: 1994-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 888-894
• Serial:
  • European Heart Journal
  • Volume: 15
  • Issue Number: 7
  • Publisher: Saunders (WB) Company Limited
  • Serial URL: http://eurheartj.oxfordjournals.org/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cardiac disorder; Drivers; Fatalities; Traffic crashes
• Geographic Terms: Finland; Switzerland
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00666171
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 16 1994 12:00AM