Driver Health and Crash Involvement: A Case-Control Study

The present study examines the relative crash involvement risk associated with diagnosed medical conditions, subjective symptoms, and the use of various medicines based on self-report questionnaires from 4448 individuals involved in automobile collisions. Most previous studies of medical conditions and crash risks have exclusively focused on elderly drivers, but this study included drivers of all ages. Relative risk for each health condition was estimated by comparing drivers with and without the condition, regarding the odds of being at fault for the crash. Researchers tested statistical significance via logistic regression analysis for each condition with crash culpability as the dependent variable. Relative risks were expressed as odds ratios (OR), which were adjusted for age and annual driving distance. The following significant risk factors were observed: non-medicated diabetes (OR = 3.08), a history of myocardial infarction (OR = 1.77), wearing eyeglasses when driving (OR = 1.26), myopia (OR = 1.22), sleep onset insomnia (OR = 1.87), frequent tiredness (OR = 1.36), anxiety (OR = 3.15), feeling depressed (OR = 2.43) and taking antidepressants (OR = 1.70). The study also found a relatively large and nearly significant relative risk for drivers who had suffered a stroke (OR = 1.93). For various other conditions, such as musculoskeletal problems (e.g., arthritis, fibromyalgia), the crude odds ratios were found to be significant, but they failed to obtain significance upon being corrected for age and annual driving distance.

• Record URL:
  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6V5S-4GR8N64-4/2/f2994ea44125073f931a840a009e671c
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00014575
• Authors:
  • Sagberg, Fridulv
• Publication Date: 2006-1

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 28-34
• Serial:
  • Accident Analysis & Prevention
  • Volume: 38
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0001-4575
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00014575

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Age; Antidepressants; Anxiety; Automobile drivers; Cardiac disorder; Case studies; Crash causes; Crash injury research; Diabetes; Diseases and medical conditions; Driver errors; Eyeglasses; Fatigue (Physiological condition); Mental condition; Musculoskeletal system; Regression analysis; Sleep disorders; Vision disorders
• Uncontrolled Terms: Crash risk; Induced exposure; Odds ratio; Relative risk ratio analysis
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors; I80: Accident Studies; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01013431
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Dec 10 2005 11:30PM