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Traffic Accidents (traffic + accident)
Kinds of Traffic Accidents Selected AbstractsInvestigating Driver Injury Severity in Traffic Accidents Using Fuzzy ARTMAPCOMPUTER-AIDED CIVIL AND INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING, Issue 6 2002Hassan T. Abdelwahab This paper applies fuzzy adaptive resonance theory MAP (fuzzy ARTMAP) neural networks to analyze and predict injury severity for drivers involved in traffic accidents. The paper presents a modified version of fuzzy ARTMAP in which the training patterns are ordered using the K,means algorithm before being presented to the neural network. The paper presents three applications of fuzzy ARTMAP for analyzing driver injury severity for drivers involved in accidents on highways, signalized intersections, and toll plazas. The analysis is based on central Florida's traffic accident database. Results showed that the ordered fuzzy ARTMAP proved to reduce the network size and improved the performance. To facilitate the application of fuzzy ARTMAP, a series of simulation experiments to extract knowledge from the models were suggested. Results of the fuzzy ARTMAP neural network showed that female drivers experience higher severity levels than male drivers. Vehicle speed at the time of an accident increases the likelihood of high injury severity. Wearing a seat belt decreases the chance of having severe injuries. Drivers in passenger cars are more likely to experience a higher injury severity level than those in vans or pickup trucks. Point of impact, area type, driving under the influence, and driver age were also among the factors that influence the severity level. [source] The unmet treatment need of traumatized anterior teeth in selected secondary school children in Ibadan, NigeriaDENTAL TRAUMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2010Mojirade Deborah Ajayi The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of damage to permanent anterior teeth in school adolescents, the average duration of trauma and to ascertain the level of the unmet treatment need. A total of 1532 secondary school children between the ages 12 and 19 years participated in the study. They were randomly selected from public secondary schools in five local government areas in Ibadan using a multistage sampling method. Participants were examined with the aid of mouth mirrors and probes under natural light. Traumatic anterior dental injuries were recorded by the same investigator (DMA) according to WHO classification. One hundred and sixty-five participants sustained injuries to their anterior teeth. Their mean age was 15.47 ± 2.09 years, with a male to female ratio of 1.5:1. The commonest cause was fall (78.8%) with road traffic accident being the least (1.8%). The tooth most commonly injured is the upper left incisor (48.0%) closely followed by upper right central (43.1%). Enamel fracture was seen in 46.5% and enamel,dentine in 42.6% of the traumatized teeth. Most (79.4%) of the children sustained injury to one tooth only. Of the participants, only 30 (18.2%) had previous dental consultation while only nine (5.5%) consulted the dentist following the trauma; however, none of the teeth had any form of restoration. Average time elapsed between trauma and dental examination was about 3.5 years. Many participants had had injury for about 2 years before dental examination. In conclusion, there is a high unmet treatment need of traumatized anterior teeth in the study population. [source] Segmental osteotomy to reposition multiple osseointegrated dental implants in the anterior maxilla in a trauma patientDENTAL TRAUMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2007Shou-Yen Kao Abstract,,, A 16-year-old young man had severe loss of alveolar bone and lost four teeth in the anterior maxilla because of traumatic injury in a traffic accident. To overcome the surgically compromised condition for implant rehabilitation, the deficient ridge was augmented by autogenous bone graft from the mandibular symphysis. The augmented ridge had much improvement in width but less in vertical height. Four implants were placed to gain initial osseointegration. Segmental osteotomy was performed to occlusally reposition the implants and bone for 5-mm in the anterior maxilla. After 2 years of clinical follow-up, the rehabilitation outcome is satisfactory and stable. [source] Repair of untreated horizontal root fracture: a case reportDENTAL TRAUMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2003Murat Özbek Abstract ,,,We report a clinical case of horizontal root fracture in the mandibular first premolar induced by a traffic accident. The fractured tooth spontaneously healed and diagnosed radiographically after 2 years. Fractured fragments were separated by a narrow radiolucent line and the edges were rounded, and healing of the tooth is likely to be related to interproximal connective tissue healing. Our case is an example of spontaneously healed fracture roots. An interesting finding is that the healing was observed even in the presence of two root canals, the vitality of the pulp was preserved and displacement of fragments were prevented. [source] Clinical and sociodemographic variables associated with the onset of posttraumatic stress disorder in road traffic accidentsDEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 5 2008Ramón Coronas M.D. Abstract Our objective was to identify variables related to the onset of acute posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after a road traffic accident. We evaluated 60 victims of a motor vehicle accident (MVA) in 2004 at 2 months postaccident. Thirty of them had developed PTSD; the other 30 had not developed PTSD. Clinical data, physical injuries, and sociodemographic characteristics were determined in 60 victims. The Davidson Trauma Scale (DTS) and a Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) were used to evaluate PTSD occurrence. PTSD scores assessed by DTS and SCID at 2 months were significantly and positively associated with female sex, severe physical injuries, perceived social deprivation, and loss of job activity due to the accident. Female sex, severe physical injury, perceived social deprivation, and sick leave were related to the diagnosis of PTSD 2 months after the accident. Depression and Anxiety 0:1,8, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Recovery from post-traumatic stress disorder in children following road traffic accidents: the role of talking and feeling understoodJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY & APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2001Paul Stallard Abstract Forty children were assessed 6 weeks and 8 months after involvement in a road traffic accident (RTA). Ten of the 21 children suffering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at 6 weeks continued to fulfil diagnostic criteria at 8 months. There was no evidence of delayed onset of PTSD in children who had not developed this condition at 6 weeks. Talking about the accident and feeling understood were associated with recovery. Providing children with opportunities to talk about their accident may be helpful in preventing or reducing psychological distress. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Changing Patterns of Drug and Alcohol Use in Fatally Injured Drivers in Washington StateJOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES, Issue 5 2006Eugene W. Schwilke B.S. ABSTRACT: We have previously reported on patterns of drug and alcohol use in fatally injured drivers in Washington State. Here we revisit that population to examine how drug use patterns have changed in the intervening 9 years. Blood and serum specimens from drivers who died within 4 h of a traffic accident between February 1, 2001, and January 31, 2002, were analyzed for illicit and therapeutic drugs and alcohol. Drugs when present were quantitated. Samples suitable for testing were obtained from 370 fatally injured drivers. Alcohol was detected above 0.01 g/100 mL in 41% of cases. The mean alcohol concentration for those cases was 0.17 g/100 mL (range 0.02,0.39 g/100 mL). Central nervous system (CNS) active drugs were detected in 144 (39%) cases. CNS depressants including carisoprodol, diazepam, hydrocodone, diphenhydramine, amitriptyline, and others were detected in 52 cases (14.1%), cannabinoids were detected in 47 cases (12.7%), CNS stimulants (cocaine and amphetamines) were detected in 36 cases (9.7%), and narcotic analgesics (excluding morphine which is often administered iatrogenically in trauma cases) were detected in 12 cases (3.2%). For those cases which tested positive for alcohol c. 40% had other drugs present which have the potential to cause or contribute to the driver's impairment. Our report also considers the blood drug concentrations in the context of their interpretability with respect to driving impairment. The data reveal that over the past decade, while alcohol use has declined, some drug use, notably methamphetamine, has increased significantly (from 1.89% to 4.86% of fatally injured drivers) between 1992 and 2002. Combined drug and alcohol use is a very significant pattern in this population and is probably overlooked in DUI enforcement programs. [source] Closure of a Femoral Pseudoaneurysm by Transcutaneous Short Guidewire EmbolizationJOURNAL OF INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY, Issue 4 2003D.N.B., RAGHURAMAN BAGIRATH M.D. Femoral pseudoaneurysm (PSA) is a well-recognized complication following catheter-based diagnostic or interventional procedures. We report a patient who developed a pseudoaneurysm following the insertion of a Steinman pin for a fractured shaft of the right femur following a road traffic accident. The treatment of choice for a femoral pseudoaneurysm is ultrasound-guided compression repair. As this modality of treatment was not applicable to our patient, the pseudoaneurysm was closed by transcutaneous short guidewire embolization technique. (J Interven Cardiol 2003;16:351,355) [source] A Cumulative Sum scheme for monitoring frequency and size of an eventQUALITY AND RELIABILITY ENGINEERING INTERNATIONAL, Issue 6 2010Zhang Wu Abstract This article proposes a Cumulative Sum (CUSUM) scheme, called the TC-CUSUM scheme, for monitoring a negative or hazardous event. This scheme is developed using a two-dimensional Markov model. It is able to check both the time interval (T) between occurrences of the event and the size (C) of each occurrence. For example, a traffic accident may be defined as an event, and the number of injured victims in each case is the event size. Our studies show that the TC-CUSUM scheme is several times more effective than many existing charts for event monitoring, so that cost or loss incurred by an event can be reduced by using this scheme. Moreover, the TC-CUSUM scheme performs more uniformly than other charts for detecting both T shift and C shift, as well as the joint shift in T and C. The improvement in the performance is achieved because of the use of the CUSUM feature and the simultaneous monitoring of T and C. The TC-CUSUM scheme can be applied in manufacturing systems, and especially in non-manufacturing sectors (e.g. supply chain management, health-care industry, disaster management, and security control). Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] How Do Living Kidney Donors Develop End-Stage Renal Disease?AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 11 2009R. Kido The clinical course and risk factors for developing end-stage renal disease (ESRD) after heminephrectomy in living kidney donors have scarcely been investigated. We reviewed medical records and identified eight case donors who developed chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 5 or ESRD, and subsequently investigated the association between postoperative clinical courses and changes in renal function. To conduct a case-control study, we also selected a control group comprising 24 donors who had maintained stable renal function and were matched for age, sex and follow-up time since donation. Except for one donor who developed ESRD caused by a traffic accident, none of the donors developed progressive renal dysfunction immediately after donation. Their renal functions remained stable for a long period of time, but started to decline after developing new comorbidities, especially risk factors known as progression factors (proteinuria or hypertension) or accelerating factors (cardiovascular [CV] event or infection) of CKD. As compared with the control donors, incidence of postoperative persistent proteinuria, acute CV event, severe infection and hospitalization due to accelerating factors of CKD were significantly higher in the case donors. These results suggest the importance of long-term (more than 10 years) follow-up of donors with special attention on the risk factors of CKD. [source] Assessment of post-stroke extrapersonal neglect using a three-dimensional immersive virtual street crossing programACTA NEUROLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 3 2010D. Y. Kim Kim DY, Ku J, Chang WH, Park TH, Lim JY, Han K, Kim IY, Kim SI. Assessment of post-stroke extrapersonal neglect using a three-dimensional immersive virtual street crossing program Acta Neurol Scand: 2010: 121: 171,177. © 2009 The Authors Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Munksgaard. Objective,,, To investigate the potential of our newly developed three-dimensional immersive virtual reality (VR) program modeled on a real street crossing as an assessment tool for extrapersonal neglect in stroke patients. Methods,,, Thirty-two patients with right-hemispheric stroke (neglect group, 16; non-neglect group, 16) were enrolled. The deviation angle, reaction time, left-to-right reaction time ratio, visual and auditory cue rates, and failure rate were evaluated during missions to keep a virtual avatar safe from a traffic accident in the VR program. The line bisection test and letter cancellation test were also evaluated. Results,,, The deviation angle, left-to-right reaction time ratio, left visual and auditory cue rates and left failure rate in the VR program showed significant differences between the two groups (P < 0.05). Depending on the direction of approach of the virtual car, the left parameters were significantly higher than the right parameters in the neglect group (P < 0.05). In the neglect group, the line bisection test correlated significantly with the deviation angle (P < 0.05). None of the other virtual reality parameters significantly correlated with the paper and pencil tests. Conclusion,,, Post-stroke neglect in the extrapersonal space can be easily and safely detected and measured using our three-dimensional immersive virtual street crossing program. [source] Investigating Driver Injury Severity in Traffic Accidents Using Fuzzy ARTMAPCOMPUTER-AIDED CIVIL AND INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING, Issue 6 2002Hassan T. Abdelwahab This paper applies fuzzy adaptive resonance theory MAP (fuzzy ARTMAP) neural networks to analyze and predict injury severity for drivers involved in traffic accidents. The paper presents a modified version of fuzzy ARTMAP in which the training patterns are ordered using the K,means algorithm before being presented to the neural network. The paper presents three applications of fuzzy ARTMAP for analyzing driver injury severity for drivers involved in accidents on highways, signalized intersections, and toll plazas. The analysis is based on central Florida's traffic accident database. Results showed that the ordered fuzzy ARTMAP proved to reduce the network size and improved the performance. To facilitate the application of fuzzy ARTMAP, a series of simulation experiments to extract knowledge from the models were suggested. Results of the fuzzy ARTMAP neural network showed that female drivers experience higher severity levels than male drivers. Vehicle speed at the time of an accident increases the likelihood of high injury severity. Wearing a seat belt decreases the chance of having severe injuries. Drivers in passenger cars are more likely to experience a higher injury severity level than those in vans or pickup trucks. Point of impact, area type, driving under the influence, and driver age were also among the factors that influence the severity level. [source] Prevalence and causes of fractured permanent incisors in 12-year-old suburban Nigerian schoolchildrenDENTAL TRAUMATOLOGY, Issue 3 2009Comfort A. Adekoya-Sofowora A dental trauma cross-sectional survey was carried out through clinical examination of upper and lower permanent incisors and interviews with 415 (212 boys, 203 girls) 12-year-old children attending private and public secondary schools in lle-Ife, in 2004/2005 by one calibrated examiner. Garcia-Godoy's classification was used. The prevalence of traumatic dental injuries was 12.8%. There was no statistical difference in the prevalence between boys and girls P > 0.05. The most common cause of injuries was falls (49.1%), followed by traffic accidents (13.2%), collision against objects or people (11.3%) and misuse of teeth 9.4%. The commonest type of injury was enamel fracture alone (9.9%), followed by enamel-dentine fracture (4.8%). Majority of the accidents occurred at home (60.4%), followed by school (26.4%). The prevalence of traumatic dental injuries was on the increase among suburban Nigerian children in Ile-Ife and it has a potential to be considered an emerging public health problem. [source] Zygomatic complex fractures in a suburban Nigerian populationDENTAL TRAUMATOLOGY, Issue 2 2005Vincent Ugboko Abstract,,, A retrospective analysis of 128 zygomatic complex fractures was undertaken. There were 109 males (85.2%) and 19 females (14.8%), aged 3,74 years (mean ± SD, 33 ± 12.6 years). Patients in the third decade of life (38.3%) recorded the highest incidence. Road traffic accidents (74.2%) mainly from automobile (61.7%) and motorcycle (9.4%) involvement were the predominant etiology. While 38.8% of them presented within the first 24 h, males were relatively earlier than their female counterparts, although this was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Class 3 fractures were the commonest (50%), followed by classes 2 (zygomatic arch) and 4, respectively. Most class 6 fractures (6.3%) resulted from gunshot injuries. There were 116 unilateral (left 63, right 53) and 12 bilateral fractures with the right side of the face recording more zygomatic arch fractures. In addition, statistical significance was observed between etiology, class and type of fracture (P < 0.05). One hundred and twenty-four (136 fractures) patients were available for treatment as four declined. Twelve cases did not require treatment while others were managed by either closed or open reduction under general anesthesia. Gillies' temporal approach was the commonest (57.1%) surgical technique employed. However the unstable nature of the fractures necessitated open reduction and transosseous wiring in 33 cases. The high prevalence of zygomatic complex fractures arising from vehicular accidents reflects the poor status of the road network in rural and suburban Nigerian communities. Hence government should improve on existing infrastructures, decongest the highways and enforce traffic laws amongst road users. In addition, the need to encourage massive investments in safer alternative transport systems is emphasized. [source] Have the causes of maxillofacial fractures changed over the last 16 years in Finland?DENTAL TRAUMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2005An epidemiological study of 725 fractures Abstract,,, A retrospective study was undertaken to assess causes of maxillofacial fractures in Helsinki in 1981 and 1997. Hospital records of 725 patients were analyzed according to several factors including age, sex, cause of fracture and time of the injury. The time intervals between the accident and hospital examination were also evaluated. Number of maxillofacial fractures was 318 in 1981 and 407 in 1997 (27.9% increase) and most patients were men. The male to female ratio was 2.8:1 in 1981, 3:1 in 1997. In 1981, most affected patients were in the age group of 31,40 years (33.2% of men, 28.9% of women). Sixteen years later the most affected age group was 41,50 years (23.3% of men, 30.4% of women). Assault was the cause of the injury in 42% of patients followed by traffic accidents (26%) and fall (17%). During the study period violence had become more severe in nature. Kicking as the cause of maxillofacial fracture increased by 7.3% and use of a weapon by 5.7% between the years studied. Bicycle accidents increased by 19.3% but motor vehicle accidents decreased by 31.6% between the years. Falls, and bicycle and pedestrian accidents were the causes that accounted for most of the increase in maxillofacial fracture. In 1997, maxillofacial fractures were slightly more common from June to August and from Friday to Sunday than at other times (45.2 and 50%, respectively). [source] Etiological factors related to dental injuries in Norwegians aged 7,18 yearsDENTAL TRAUMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2003Anne B. Skaare Abstract ,,,Prevention of diseases and injuries is a field of priority for the health authorities in Norway. In 1990, an interdepartmental project was established in order to reduce the number of accidents, including dental injuries. The purpose of the present study was to examine the causes of dental injuries, the place of event and the possibilities for prevention. During a 1-year period, all new trauma episodes affecting children aged 7,18 years were registered by calibrated dentists in the public dental health service in the county of Nord-Trřndelag and in the capital city of Oslo. A distinction was made between school and leisure time accidents. The severity of injuries was classified as mild, moderate or severe, and the dentists were asked to judge whether the severe injuries were preventable. Nearly half of the 1275 injured individuals (48%) were injured at school. Almost half of the leisure time injuries occurred during children's play. Sports and traffic accidents were less common. Sports accidents represented only 8% of the total number of injuries, the same as the number of individuals injured by violence. Statistically significant associations were observed between the cause of injury and county (P < 0.001) and the cause of injury and age group (P < 0.001). In total, 4% of all injuries were classified as severe, of which only one-third were assumed to be preventable. In summary, because of the complexity of etiological factors, it is neither easy to prevent dental injuries nor to make guidelines on prevention. [source] Prevalence and handedness correlates of traumatic injuries to the permanent incisors in 13,17-year-old adolescents in Erzurum, TurkeyDENTAL TRAUMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2003Varol Canakci Abstract ,,,The objectives of the present study were to explore the relationship between dental trauma and handedness, and to assess the prevalence of traumatic injuries to the permanent incisors of 13,17-year-old patients, seeking treatment for various dental conditions in Erzurum, Turkey. A questionnaire focusing on handedness was administered to these patients. Handedness was assessed by the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory (Oldfield, 1971). Hand preference was divided into two classes for convenience in data analysis: (i) right-handers (GSc from 80 to 100); and (ii) left-handers (GSc from ,80 to ,100). This study included the 13,17-year-old group patients who had GSc as described above. Thus, the present study was carried out on 2180 (1252 male and 928 female, with a mean age of 14.9 years) out of 2392 patients. The clinical examinations and radiographic assessments were performed in full-designed dental chairs. Preliminary analysis showed no differences in rates of handedness with respect to sex and age. Overall, 10.4% of the patients were left-handers. A total of 292 (13.4%) of 2180 patients examined had one or more traumatized permanent incisors. The proportion of dental trauma was significantly higher in males than in females, 17.41% in males as compared to 7.97% in females; and ratio of the affected males to females was about 2.18. Sex difference in the prevalence of traumatized permanent incisors was statistically significant (P < 0.001). That is, males had a significantly higher risk of dental trauma than females (P < 0.001; odds ratio: 2.49; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.88, 3.23). There was a higher level of traumatized permanent incisors among left-handers than among right-handers. 28.3% of left-handers and 11.7% of right-handers had dental trauma. This difference in the prevalence of traumatized permanent incisors for handedness was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Indeed, left-handers had a significantly higher risk on dental trauma than right-handers (P < 0.001; odds ratio: 3.09; 95% CI 2.23, 4.29). The primary causative factor in the occurrence of trauma was the fall (27.7%). Then came violence and fight as the second most frequent cause of trauma (24%), followed by sports injury (18.8%). Trauma resulting from collisions and traffic accidents were accounted as 13.7 and 11.3% of all cases, respectively. The other causes were 4.5%. In conclusion, the present study suggests that left-handed adolescents have more frequent permanent incisor tooth trauma than right-handed adolescents. Left-handedness, therefore, appears to be a risk factor for trauma in 13,17-year-old adolescents. [source] A retrospective study of traumatic dental injuries in a Brazilian dental trauma clinicDENTAL TRAUMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2001Arnaldo De França Caldas Jr Abstract , The purpose of this retrospective study was to analyse data from the records of patients seen in the dental trauma emergency clinic in a general hospital in the city of Recife, Brazil, during the years 1997,1999, according to sex, age, cause, number of injured teeth, type of tooth and type of trauma. The records of all patients seen by dentists were collected. Altogether, 250 patients from 1 to 59 years of age presenting 403 dental injuries were examined and/or treated. The causes of dento-alveolar trauma were classified in five categories: home injuries, street injuries, school injuries, sports activities, violence. The type of trauma was classified by dentists working at the dental trauma clinic on the basis of Andreasen's classification. The gender difference in the number of cases of trauma was statistically significant (males 63.2% vs females 36.8) (P<0.0001). Fracture in enamel only (51.6%) and fractures in dentine (40.8%) were the most commonly occurring types of injury. Injuries were most frequently diagnosed as serious among the youngest patients (up to 15 years of age); 82.4% of intrusive luxation cases were diagnosed in the 1,5 years age group. The main causes of tooth injury were falls (72.4%), collisions with objects (9.2%), violence (8.0%), traffic accidents (6.8%) and sports (3.6%). Trauma caused by violence was found to be statistically significant in the 6,15 years age group (P<0.0005). [source] Clinical and sociodemographic variables associated with the onset of posttraumatic stress disorder in road traffic accidentsDEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 5 2008Ramón Coronas M.D. Abstract Our objective was to identify variables related to the onset of acute posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after a road traffic accident. We evaluated 60 victims of a motor vehicle accident (MVA) in 2004 at 2 months postaccident. Thirty of them had developed PTSD; the other 30 had not developed PTSD. Clinical data, physical injuries, and sociodemographic characteristics were determined in 60 victims. The Davidson Trauma Scale (DTS) and a Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) were used to evaluate PTSD occurrence. PTSD scores assessed by DTS and SCID at 2 months were significantly and positively associated with female sex, severe physical injuries, perceived social deprivation, and loss of job activity due to the accident. Female sex, severe physical injury, perceived social deprivation, and sick leave were related to the diagnosis of PTSD 2 months after the accident. Depression and Anxiety 0:1,8, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Seismic response analysis on the stability of running vehiclesEARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 11 2002Yoshihisa Maruyama Abstract The seismometer network of the Japanese expressway system has been enhanced since the 1995 Kobe earthquake. Using earthquake information from the instruments, the expressways are closed if the peak ground acceleration (PGA) is larger than or equal to 80cm/s2. The aim of this regulation is to avoid secondary disasters, e.g. cars running into the collapsed sections. However, recent studies on earthquake damage have revealed that expressway structures are not seriously damaged under such-level of earthquake motion. Hence, we may think of relaxing the regulation of expressway closure. But before doing this, it is necessary to examine the effects of shaking to automobiles since the drivers may encounter difficulties in controlling their vehicles and traffic accidents may occur. In this study, a vehicle was modelled with a six-degree-of-freedom system and its responses were investigated with respect to PGA, peak ground velocity (PGV) and Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) seismic intensity using five ground motion records. It was observed that the response of the vehicle shows a larger amplitude for the record that has larger response spectrum in the long period range compared to other records. However, similar response amplitudes of the vehicle were observed for all the records with respect to the JMA seismic intensity. The response characteristics of the vehicle model may be very useful for decision-making regarding the relaxation of the expressway closure under seismic motion. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Impairment due to cannabis and ethanol: clinical signs and additive effectsADDICTION, Issue 6 2010Jřrgen G. Bramness ABSTRACT Aims Studies have shown that the impairing effects of ,-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are dose-related. Cannabis intake increases the risk of traffic accidents. The purpose of this study was to see how different clinical tests and observations were related to blood THC concentrations and to determine whether the combined influence of THC and ethanol was different from either drug alone. Design A retrospective cross-sectional forensic database study. Setting Drivers apprehended by the police suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol other drugs. Participants We investigated 589 cases positive for THC only. In addition, 894 cases with THC and ethanol were included. A comparison was made with 3480 drivers with only ethanol in their blood and 79 drivers who tested negative. Measurements Data were analytical results of blood samples and the 27 clinical tests and observations included in the Norwegian clinical test for impairment (CTI). Findings No relationship was found between blood THC concentration and most of the CTI tests. Blood THC concentration was, however, related to conjunctival injection, pupil dilation and reaction to light and to the overall risk of being judged impaired. When THC and ethanol were detected together the risk of being judged impaired was increased markedly. Conclusions This study demonstrates that cannabis impairs driving ability in a concentration-related manner. The effect is smaller than for ethanol. The effect of ethanol and cannabis taken simultaneously is additive. Conjunctival injection, dilated pupils and slow pupil reaction are among the few signs to reveal THC influence. [source] IS INJURY COMPENSATION EXCESSIVE?ECONOMIC PAPERS: A JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECONOMICS AND POLICY, Issue 2 2004Peter Abelson In Australia, excessive awards in personal damage cases are widely perceived to have created a public liability crisis and cuts in valued services. This paper analyses whether awards for damages are excessive. The paper starts by setting out a normative basis for awards based on welfare economic principles and amounts that individuals are willing to pay to avoid injuries. It then provides estimates of appropriate compensation sums for 27 typical injuries ranging from broken arms to quadriplegia and severe brain damage. There follows an analysis of 192 court awards for injuries greater than $250 000 in New South Wales between 1991 and 2002, including awards for 101 traffic accidents, 64 workers compensation cases, and 27 personal injury cases. The paper concludes that these court awards are broadly consistent with economic estimates for damages and that the awards are generally not excessive. [source] Road traffic accidents and the elderlyGERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 3 2009Suzan Abou-Raya Aim: To identify and evaluate the causes and characteristics of road traffic accidents (RTA) and to analyze injury patterns in elderly road traffic victims in order to apply appropriate measures for the prevention of RTA in the elderly. Methods: Two hundred and fifty-eight elderly road traffic victims admitted to the Emergency and Traumatology Departments of our institution were enrolled. Complete data about the circumstances surrounding the accident, mechanism of injury, specific injury, comorbid conditions and drug history were recorded. All subjects underwent a physical and mental function examination. Results: The majority of road traffic victims were pedestrians. Most elderly pedestrian accidents were due to falls. Accidents by elderly car drivers occurred frequently at intersections. Craniocerebral and extremity injuries formed the majority of the injuries in pedestrian and cyclist victims whereas chest injuries were commoner in car accident victims. Medical problems and medication usage was common among RTA victims. Conclusion: The fragility of elderly car occupants and pedestrians should be taken into consideration and strategies aimed at the road-user safety including periodic medical screening, improvement of road structure and facilities, and the improved design of motor vehicles should be implemented. [source] Underage alcohol use, delinquency, and criminal activityHEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 12 2006Michael T. French Abstract Since 1988, the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) has been 21 years for all 50 US states. The increasing prevalence of teenagers driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol and the resulting traffic accidents were two main reasons for raising the MLDA to 21 years. Following the passage of this legislation, several published studies have found that the higher MLDA is associated with a significant reduction in both fatal and non-fatal accidents. While the relationship between MLDA and DUI events among young adults has been extensively studied, less information is available on other potential consequences of underage drinking. The present study uses data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), a recent nationally representative survey, to investigate the effects of underage drinking on a variety of delinquency and criminal activity consequences. After controlling for the endogeneity of alcohol use where appropriate, we find strong evidence that various measures of alcohol consumption are related both to delinquency and to criminal activity. However, the findings are not uniform across gender as we find striking differences between males and females. These results have interesting policy and public health implications regarding underage drinking. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Determining the relationship between drivers' level of education, training, working conditions, and job performance in KenyaHUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY, Issue 3 2003Fredrick Muyia Nafukho One major issue in human resource development (HRD) is to determine factors that predict the performance of employees. The primary purpose of this study was to determine how level of education, training, and the working conditions of matatu (public service vehicle) drivers determined their job performance in terms of reduced road traffic accidents. Proportionate and simple random sampling techniques were employed to select 143 drivers who completed and returned the questionnaires. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses stated. The findings indicate that the variables of driver experience and hours worked had a significant relationship with the dependent variable rates of traffic accidents per driver as hypothesized. The variables of education level, training, salary earned, and average speed traveled did not have a significant relationship with the dependent variable. [source] Recovery from post-traumatic stress disorder in children following road traffic accidents: the role of talking and feeling understoodJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY & APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2001Paul Stallard Abstract Forty children were assessed 6 weeks and 8 months after involvement in a road traffic accident (RTA). Ten of the 21 children suffering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at 6 weeks continued to fulfil diagnostic criteria at 8 months. There was no evidence of delayed onset of PTSD in children who had not developed this condition at 6 weeks. Talking about the accident and feeling understood were associated with recovery. Providing children with opportunities to talk about their accident may be helpful in preventing or reducing psychological distress. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The Burden of Disease and the Cost of Illness Attributable to Alcohol Drinking,Results of a National StudyALCOHOLISM, Issue 8 2010Helena Cortez-Pinto Background and Aims:, The World Health Organization estimated that 3.2% of the burden of disease around the world is attributable to the consumption of alcohol. The aim of this study is to estimate the burden of disease attributable to alcohol consumption in Portugal. Methods:, Burden and costs of diseases attributable to alcohol drinking were estimated based on demographic and health statistics available for 2005, using the Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALY) lost generated by death or disability. Results:, In Portugal, 3.8% of deaths are attributable to alcohol (4,059 of 107,839). After measuring the DALY generated by mortality data, the proportion of disease attributable to alcohol was 5.0%, with men having 5.6% of deaths and 6.2% of disease burden, while female figures were, respectively, 1.8 and 2.4%. Considering the sum of death and disability DALYs, liver diseases represented the main source of the burden attributable to alcohol with 31.5% of total DALYs, followed by traffic accidents (28.2%) and several types of cancer (19.2%). As for the cost of illness incurred by the health system, our results indicate that ,95.1 millions are attributable to alcohol-related disease admissions (liver diseases, cancer, traffic accidents, and external causes) while the ambulatory costs of alcohol-related diseases were estimated in ,95.9 million, totaling ,191.0 million direct costs, representing 0.13% of Gross Domestic Product and 1.25% of total national health expenditures. An alternative analysis was carried out using higher consumption levels so as to replicate aggregate alcohol consumption statistics. In this case, DALYs lost increased by 11.7% and health costs by 23%. Conclusion:, Our results confirm that alcohol is an important health risk factor in Portugal and a heavy economic burden for the health system, with hepatic diseases ranking first as a source of burden of disease attributable to alcohol. [source] Short sleep duration and long spells of driving are associated with the occurrence of Japanese drivers' rear-end collisions and single-car accidentsJOURNAL OF SLEEP RESEARCH, Issue 2 2010TAKASHI ABE Summary Sleepiness and fatigue are important risk factors for traffic accidents. However, the relation between the accident type and lack of sleep as well as spells of driving has not been examined sufficiently. This study aimed to clarify that short sleep duration and long spells of driving are more associated with rear-end collisions and single-car accidents as compared with accidents of other types in cases of people who cause accidents. After removing drunken driving as a cause of accidents, 1772 parties involved in accidents were questioned. The quantities of rear-end collisions and single-car accidents were, respectively, 240 and 293. Logistic regression analysis showed that short nocturnal sleep (<6 h) and 10-min increments of spells of driving were significantly associated not only with rear-end collisions but also with single-car accidents as compared with accidents of other types. Furthermore, younger age (,25 years old) and nighttime (21:00,06:00 h) driving were significantly associated with single-car accidents as compared with accidents of other types. To prevent such accidents, countermeasures must be considered in light of the characteristics of drivers involved in each type of accident described above. [source] Clinical study of cats injured and killed in road traffic accidents in CambridgeshireJOURNAL OF SMALL ANIMAL PRACTICE, Issue 8 2004I. Rochlitz Data were collected on the injuries, treatment and outcome of 128 cats involved in road accidents and seen as first-opinion cases in veterinary practices in Cambridgeshire. Sixteen cats were dead on arrival; the mortality rate for the remaining cats was 16 per cent. Half of the cats were aged between seven months and two years, with more males than females affected. Most cats had moderate injuries; strays had more severe injuries than owned cats. Areas of the body most often injured were the extremities, head and neck, pelvis and thorax. Skeletal injuries were present in 67 cats and neurological signs in 29. Diagnostic procedures and medical treatment were necessary for the majority of cats; surgery was required in 51 cases. Most cats were hospitalised for between two and seven days and some required up to one month of treatment. The cost of treatment was less than Ł400 for 84 per cent of cats. [source] Alcohol is the Main Factor in Excess Traffic Accident Fatalities in FranceALCOHOLISM, Issue 12 2002Michel Reynaud Background The aim of this study was to better evaluate the role of alcohol drinking in fatalities linked to road traffic accidents. Methods The data of accidents were collected by a French official agency from police records, including many variables, among which was a blood alcohol test. They were analyzed in a descriptive way and toward a logistic regression. This exhaustive database comprised all of the 500,961 accidents with casualties that involved less than three vehicles (28,506 fatal accidents) recorded in France during a 52 month period (September 1995 to December 1999). The results of the alcohol tests were known in 78.7 of the drivers. Results The blood alcohol concentration was over the legal limit (0.50 g/L in France) in 9.8% of the accidents with casualties overall. Considering only fatal accidents, the rate of positive alcohol test in drivers was approximately 31.5%. This rate varied depending on the period and the type of accident, raising up to 71.2% in single-vehicle accidents (loss of control) at night during the weekend. The percentage of positive alcohol tests also dramatically increased following the number of fatalities per accident (87.5% in single-vehicle accidents during weekend nights involving three or more killed). The logistic regression in single-vehicle accident shows that the higher odds ratios concern the positive blood alcohol test (OR = 4.19), clearly overwhelming the other precipitating factors of accidents (age of driver, meteorological conditions, time of day, and other factors). Conclusions Drinking alcohol before driving is a well known factor of accidents. We clearly demonstrate here that it is the main factor leading to deaths linked to road traffic accidents in France. The results are strengthened, and some analyses are allowed, by the exceptional features of our database. The authors emphasize the need for prevention measures. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||