TRAFFIC CRASHES IN BRISBANE - AN ENGINEERING, MEDICAL, AND SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY
AN EXTENSIVE SURVEY WAS MADE IN BRISBANE OF VEHICLE ACCIDENTS THAT RESULTED IN DEATH OR INJURY. THE SETTING AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ACCIDENTS WERE DETERMINED, THE MEDICAL NATURE OF THE ACCIDENTS WAS CORRELATED WITH A VARIETY OF PERSONAL AND ENGINEERING FACTORS, AND A SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF DRIVERS AND VICTIMS WAS MADE. THE METHODS USED IN EACH PART OF THE STUDY ARE DESCRIBED, AND CASE HISTORIES ARE REPORTED SINGLY AND SUMMARIZED. TWO MAJOR CONCLUSIONS EMERGED. FIRST, INCREASING VELOCITY AND INCREASING EXPOSURE OF ANATOMICAL SURFACES HAVE RENDERED MEDICINE PROGRESSIVELY MORE INEFFECTIVE IN DEALING WITH THE RESULTS OF VEHICLE COLLISIONS. THE COMPLEXITY AND MULTIPLICITY OF INJURIES SUSTAINED ROSE FROM AN AVERAGE OF 4.6 MAJOR INJURIES PER DEATH IN 1935 TO 6.9 IN 1963 IN BRISBANE AUTOPSY EXPERIENCE. IN ADDITION, THERE IS AN ACCELERATING TREND TOWARD MAXIMUM CRASH INCIDENCE DURING HOURS OF DAY AND DAYS OF WEEK WHEN HOSPITAL STAFFING IS MINIMAL. SECOND, THOSE INVOLVED IN CRASHES SHOW SEVERAL SPECIFIC FEATURES NOT FOUND STATISTICALLY AMONG THOSE WITHOUT A HISTORY OF CRASHES. FIRST, THEY EXHIBIT A HIGH PROPORTION OF MISUSE OF ALCOHOL. SECOND, A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF THEM CAN BE CLASSIFIED AS RECKLESS; AND THIS GROUP TENDS TO HAVE UNSATISFACTORY FAMILY BACKGROUNDS, TO COME FROM THE LOWER SOCIAL CLASSES, TO HAVE HIGHER RECORDS OF CRIMINALITY AND ALCOHOLISM, AND TO USE THE VEHICLE AS A NONADAPTIVE MECHANISM FOR ACHIEVING A SENSE OF IDENTITY. FINALLY, A HIGH PROPORTION, WHICH CAN BE CLASSIFIED AS NEGLIGENT EXHIBITS A LACK OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY THAT CAN BE TRACED IN APPARENTLY CHANCE ACCIDENTS WHERE TECHNICALLY THEIR DRIVING IN A SPECIFIC SITUATION CANNOT BE FAULTED. IT IS EMPHASIZED THAT THE SCOLDING ATTITUDE ADOPTED TOWARD DRIVERS IN THE 18--22 AGE GROUP, WHO HAVE THE HIGHEST ACCIDENT RATES, IS QUITE FUTILE, SINCE IT FAILS TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE ACCIDENT CURVE FOR THIS GROUP IS A BIOLOGICAL CURVE, PARTICULARLY FOR MALES: ALL FORMS OF SOCIAL DEVIANCE EXPERIENCE THEIR PEAK IN THIS AGE AND THEN TAPER OFF. IN CONCLUSION THE OPINION IS EXPRESSED THAT THE PROBLEM OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENT AND INJURY IS ONE THAT REQUIRES SOCIAL AND MORAL COMMITMENT AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT.
- Record URL:
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Supplemental Notes:
- Spec Rpt No 2, 361 PP, 66 FIG, 356 TAB, 160 REF, 5 APP
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Corporate Authors:
ARRB
Melbourne, Victoria Australia -
Authors:
- Jamieson, K G
- Duggan, A W
- Tweddell, J
- Pope, L I
- Zvirbulis, V E
- Publication Date: 1971-2
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Alcohols; Behavior; Crashes; Drivers; Driving; Fatalities; High risk drivers; Injuries; Medicine; Reckless drivers; Social factors; Traffic crashes
- Old TRIS Terms: Driver psychology
- Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Society;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00221496
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS, ATRI
- Created Date: Dec 20 1971 12:00AM