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Journal Article

Citation

Bener A. J. Egypt Public Health Assoc. 2012; 87(5-6): 85-89.

Affiliation

aDepartment of Medical Statistics & Epidemiology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Weill Cornell Medical College, Hamad General Hospital, Doha, Qatar bDepartment Evidence for Population Health Unit, School of Epidemiology and Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Lippicott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/01.EPX.0000421566.38407.94

PMID

23196880

Abstract

AIM: To determine the contributing factors to road traffic crashes (RTCs) and road traffic injuries (RTIs) in the rapidly developing State of Qatar. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out at Primary Health Care Centers and included a sample of 1762 drivers selected randomly among patients registered for daily visits. A designed questionnaire covering sociodemographic information, driving history, type of vehicle driven, driver behavior, severity of motor vehicle injuries, and the cause of the RTC was used to collect data. RESULTS: Young drivers in the age group (25-34) years had the highest prevalence of RTIs (35%). A significantly higher proportion of men had RTI when compared with women, with an incidence ratio of 1.4 : 1 (P<0.001). A large proportion of the injured drivers were also involved in traffic violations within a year, especially violations such as exceeding speed limits (36.9%) and parking violations (18.1%). 27.9% of injured drivers were distracted by eating or drinking, whereas 25.4% were distracted by using their mobile phone. The main types of crashes among the drivers of Qatar were a result of overturn skid crashes (20.7%) and hitting fixed objects (15.1%). Those injured by both light vehicles and heavy vehicles reported the highest incidence of head injuries, with a combined percentage of 31.8% of all reported injuries. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The study showed that human behavioral factors including use of cell phones, eating/drinking, and traffic violations represented one of the main causes of RTIs. Interventions targeting behavior modification of drivers in terms of adherence to traffic rules and regulations with strict implementation are required for better prevention and control of RTCs and RTIs.


Language: en

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