Dataset Information

Ungulate vehicle collisions in a peri-urban environment: consequences of transportation infrastructures planned assuming the absence of ungulates.

ABSTRACT: Ungulate vehicle collisions (UVC) provoke serious damage, including human casualties, and a large number of measures have been developed around the world to avoid collisions. We analyse the main factors involved in UVC in a road network built in the absence of ungulates, where mitigation structures to avoid UVC were not adequately considered. Ungulate population greatly increased during the last two decades and now Roe Deer and Wild Boars are widely distributed over the study area, but even after this increase, the road network was not adapted to avoid UVC. A total of 235 Roe Deer (RDVC) and 153 Wild Boar vehicle collisions (WBVC) were recorded between January 2008 and December 2011. We randomly selected 289 sample points (87 RDVC, 60 WBVC and 142 controls) separated by at least 500 metres from the next closest point and measured 19 variables that could potentially influence the vehicle collisions. We detected variations in the frequency of RDVC on a monthly basis, and WBVC was higher at weekends but no significant differences were detected on a monthly basis. UVC were more likely to occur at locations where sinuosity of the road, velocity, surface of shrub and deciduous forest area were greater, the presence of fences entered with positive relationship and distance to the nearest building was less. RDVC were more likely to occur at locations where timber forest area increased and distance to the nearest building decreased and WBVC was related to open fields cover and also to the presence of fences. Sinuosity and velocity entered in both cases as significant factors. Major roads, in which the traffic volume is greater and faster, caused more accidents with ungulates than secondary roads. Nowadays, the high frequency of ungulate road-kills deserves a new strategy in order to adapt infrastructure and adopt mitigation measures.

SUBMITTER: Zuberogoitia I

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4174520 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Ungulate vehicle collisions in a peri-urban environment: consequences of transportation infrastructures planned assuming the absence of ungulates.

Zuberogoitia Iñigo I del Real Javier J Torres Juan José JJ Rodríguez Luis L Alonso María M Zabala Jabi J

PloS one 20140924 9

Ungulate vehicle collisions (UVC) provoke serious damage, including human casualties, and a large number of measures have been developed around the world to avoid collisions. We analyse the main factors involved in UVC in a road network built in the absence of ungulates, where mitigation structures to avoid UVC were not adequately considered. Ungulate population greatly increased during the last two decades and now Roe Deer and Wild Boars are widely distributed over the study area, but even afte ...[more]

PMID: 25251376

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Project description:Objective:Motor vehicle collisions generate considerable transmitted forces resulting in traumatic brain injury in children presenting to emergency departments (EDs). To date, no large study has examined post-concussive symptoms in children sustaining concussions in motor vehicle collisions. This study aimed to compare trends in acute post-concussive symptom burden in children with concussion following motor vehicle collisions as compared to other injury mechanisms. Methods:The study is a secondary analysis of the Predicting Persistent Post-concussive Problems in Pediatrics study, which prospectively recruited a multicenter cohort of 3029 children 5-17 years of age presenting to the ED with concussion from 2013-2015. Post-concussive symptom ratings were obtained at pre-specified time points for 12 weeks post-injury, using the validated Post-Concussion Symptom Inventory (PCSI). Symptom severity and recovery trajectories were measured using delta scores on the PCSI (mean post-injury symptom score minus perceived pre-injury score). A multivariable, longitudinal model evaluated the adjusted effect of mechanism of injury (motor vehicle collisions vs other mechanisms) on mean symptom scores, compared to perceived pre-injury reports, and the temporal change in mean scores over during recovery. Results:Of 3029 study participants, 56 (1.8%) sustained concussion from motor vehicle collisions. Children sustaining concussion in a motor vehicle collision had lower post-concussive symptom scores upon ED presentation, measured as differences from their perceived pre-injury reports, as compared to other injury mechanisms (-0.36 [95% confidence interval (CI) = -0.58, -0.15]). However, the motor vehicle collisions group showed the smallest decline in symptom burden over 1 month following injury (-0.54 [95% CI = -0.81, -0.27]). Conclusions:Children sustaining concussions in motor vehicle collisions may have lower initial symptom burdens but slower symptom recovery at 1 month compared to other mechanisms of injury and may represent a distinct population for prognostic counseling in the ED requiring further research.

Dataset Information

Ungulate vehicle collisions in a peri-urban environment: consequences of transportation infrastructures planned assuming the absence of ungulates.

Publications

Ungulate vehicle collisions in a peri-urban environment: consequences of transportation infrastructures planned assuming the absence of ungulates.

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