DEATH RESULTING FROM MOTOR VEHICLE IMMERSIONS: THE NATURE OF THE INJURIES, PERSONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS, AND POTENTIAL INTERVENTIONS

We present an epidemiologic characterization of deaths from motor vehicle immersions, based on 77 deaths in 63 motor vehicle immersions in Sacramento County, CA, during 1974-85. All persons were autopsied; all but one death were due to drowning. Average annual mortality rates per million person years were 12 for males, four for females, 30 for Hispanics, six for White non-Hispanics, Blacks and Asians. Seventy-one percent of drivers and 60 percent of passengers had a blood alcohol concentration >=22 mmol/L. Most cases (57 percent) had an Injury Severity Score of 1 (minor injury) or 0 (no injury). Alcohol use was associated with higher Injury Severity Scores. Road curvature of 20 deg. or greater was far more common at crash sites than at matched control sites one mile away. Guard rail placement along highly curved sections of roadway may be an effective preventive measure.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00900036
• Corporate Authors:

  American Public Health Association

  800 I Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001-3710
• Authors:
  • Wintemute, G J
  • Kraus, J F
  • Teret, S P
  • WRIGHT, M A
• Publication Date: 1990-9

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 1068-70
• Serial:
  • American Journal of Public Health
  • Volume: 80
  • Issue Number: 9
  • Publisher: American Public Health Association
  • ISSN: 0090-0036
  • EISSN: 1541-0048
  • Serial URL: http://ajph.aphapublications.org/loi/ajph

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Autopsies; Blood alcohol levels; Demographics; Drowning; Epidemiology; Fatalities; Guardrails; Injury severity; Traffic crashes
• Identifier Terms: Injury Severity Score
• Uncontrolled Terms: Immersion; Mortality rates
• Old TRIS Terms: Death at the wheel
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Society; I81: Accident Statistics;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00497033
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: American Public Health Association
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-040 776
• Files: HSL, TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 30 1991 12:00AM