TY  - JOUR
PY  - 1999//
TI  - Injuries associated with snowmobiles, Alaska, 1993-1994
JO  - Public health reports (1974)
A1  - Landen, Michael G.
A1  - Middaugh, J.
A1  - Dannenberg, A. L.
SP  - 48
EP  - 52
VL  - 114
IS  - 1
N2  - OBJECTIVE: To characterize the nature and burden of snowmobile injuries in Alaska by examining injury deaths and hospitalizations associated with snowmobiles and comparing these with injury deaths and hospitalizations associated with on-road motor vehicles. METHODS: The authors used vital statistics, medical examiner, Department of Public Safety, and Department of Transportation records to identify snowmobile injury deaths, and used vital statistics mortality files to identify on-road motor vehicle injury deaths. The Alaska Trauma Registry provided data on hospitalizations. The number of vehicles in use in 1993-1994 was estimated from snowmobile sales and on-road motor vehicle registrations. RESULTS: For 1993-1994, injury death and hospitalization rates were greater for snowmobiles than for on-road motor vehicles. In northern Alaska, snowmobile injuries outnumbered on-road motor vehicle injuries. A total of 26 snowmobile injury deaths were reported; 7 decedents drowned after breaking through ice and 8 were ejected from vehicles. More than half (58%) of the snowmobile injury deaths involved a natural object such as a boulder, ravine, or river. Of the 17 decedents for whom blood alcohol concentrations were available, 11 (65%) had blood alcohol concentrations > or = 100 mg/dL. CONCLUSIONS: Natural obstacles and alcohol intoxication contribute to the high risk of injury death associated with snowmobile use. Injury control strategies, including trail development and improvement, should be evaluated.
LA  - 
SN  - 0033-3549
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -