A new method for assessing the risk of accident associated with darkness
This paper presents a new method for assessing the risk of accidents associated with darkness. The method estimates the risk of accident associated with darkness in terms of an odds ratio, which is defined as follows: [(number of accidents in darkness in a given hour of the day)/(number of accidents in daylight in the same hour of the day)]/[(Number of accidents in a given comparison hour when the case hour is dark)/(Number of accidents in a given comparison hour when the case hour is in daylight)]. This estimate of the risk of accident associated with darkness does not require data on exposure, but relies on the count of accidents in the same pair of hours throughout the year. One of the hours is dark part of the year, but has daylight the rest of the year. The comparison hour, which has daylight the whole year, is used to control for seasonal variations. The aim of relying on the same pair of hours throughout the year is to minimize the influence of potentially confounding factors. Estimates of the risk of injury accidents associated with darkness are developed on the basis of accident data for Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands. It is found that the risk of an injury accident increases by nearly 30% in darkness in urban areas, by nearly 50% in rural areas, and by about 40% for urban and rural areas combined (adjusted estimate).
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Availability:
- Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00014575
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Supplemental Notes:
- Abstract reprinted with permission from Elsevier
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Authors:
- Johansson, Osten
- Wanvik, Per Ole
- Elvik, Rune
- Publication Date: 2009-7
Language
- English
Media Info
- Media Type: Print
- Features: Figures; References; Tables;
- Pagination: pp 809-815
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Serial:
- Accident Analysis & Prevention
- Volume: 41
- Issue Number: 4
- Publisher: Elsevier
- ISSN: 0001-4575
- Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00014575
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Crash risk forecasting; Darkness; Risk assessment; Rural areas; Urban areas
- Geographic Terms: Netherlands; Norway; Sweden
- Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01138182
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS, ATRI
- Created Date: Aug 12 2009 12:46PM