The association between meteorological variables and road traffic injuries: a study from Macao.
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ABSTRACT: Objective
Correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were conducted to estimate the influence of meteorological factors on road traffic injuries stratified by severity. Crash rate was defined as mean monthly road traffic accidents per 1,000 vectors.Design
Ecological time-series study.Setting
Macao traffic accident registry database between January 1st, 2001 and November 31st, 2016.Participants
In total, 393,176 traffic accidents and 72,501 cases of road traffic injuries (RTIs) were enrolled; patients' severity was divided into mild injury, required hospitalisation, and death.Exposure
Variation of monthly meteorological factors.Main outcome measure
Weather-condition-related road traffic accidents, injuries, and deaths.Results
Windy weather significantly correlated with increased number of traffic accidents among all transport vectors (r = .375 to .637; p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression showed temperature (B = 0.704; p < 0.05) and humidity (B = - 0.537; p < 0.001) were independent factors for mild injury. The role of windy weather was relatively more obvious among patients with severe injuries (B = 0.304; p < 0.001) or those who died (B = 0.015; p < 0.001). A longer duration of sunshine was also associated to RTI-related deaths (B = 0.015; p < 0.001). In total, 13.4% of RTIs were attributable to meteorological factors and may be preventable.Conclusion
The World Health Organization stated that RTIs are a major but neglected public health challenge. This study demonstrates meteorological factors have significant effects on any degree of RTIs. The results may not be generalized to other climates or populations while the findings may have implications in both preventing injuries and to announce safety precautions regarding trauma and motor vehicle collisions to the general public by public agencies.
SUBMITTER: Lio CF
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6376939 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Few studies examined the associations of meteorological factors with road traffic injuries (RTIs). The purpose of the present study was to quantify the contributions of meteorological factors to RTI cases treated at a tertiary level hospital in Shantou city, China. A time-series diagram was employed to illustrate the time trends and seasonal variation of RTIs, and correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were conducted to investigate the relationships between meteorological parameters and RTIs. RTIs followed a seasonal pattern as more cases occurred during summer and winter months. RTIs are positively correlated with temperature and sunshine duration, while negatively associated with wind speed. Temperature, sunshine hour and wind speed were included in the final linear model with regression coefficients of 0.65 (t = 2.36, P = 0.019), 2.23 (t = 2.72, P = 0.007) and -27.66 (t = -5.67, P < 0.001), respectively, accounting for 19.93% of the total variation of RTI cases. The findings can help us better understand the associations between meteorological factors and RTIs, and with potential contributions to the development and implementation of regional level evidence-based weather-responsive traffic management system in the future.
| S-EPMC5112526 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveParticipation in walking, cycling and taking public transportation without adult supervision is defined as independent mobility of children and adolescents. The association between adolescents' independent mobility and road traffic injury (RTI) is unclear. The purpose of this study is to determine measures of adolescents' independent mobility associated with RTIs in an urban lower middle-income setting.Study designCross-sectional survey.SettingSchools in Karachi, Pakistan.ParticipantsAdolescents aged 10-19 years in grades 6-10 were enrolled from private and public schools.OutcomeAny self-reported lifetime RTI sustained as a pedestrian, as a cyclist or while in a car or another vehicle that resulted in any first aid at home/school or consultation in a healthcare setting.ExposureSelf-reported independent mobility was assessed by four variables. (1) Any travel companion from school to home on the survey day, (2) parental permission to cross main roads alone, (3) parental permission to travel by public bus alone and (4) activity/activities outside the home on the previous weekend alone.ResultsData from 1264 adolescents, 10-19 years old, were included. Most were females (60%). Adolescents who had parental permission to cross main roads alone (adjusted OR (aOR) 1.39; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.86) and who participated in one or more activities outside the home alone on the previous weekend (aOR 2.61; 95% CI 1.42 to 5.13) or participated in a mixture of activities with and without adult accompaniment (aOR 2.50; 95% CI 1.38 to 4.89) had higher odds of RTIs.ConclusionsParental permission to cross main roads alone and participation in activity/activities outside the home on the previous weekend alone were two measures of independent mobility associated with higher odds of RTIs among adolescents. The study provides an understanding of the risk posed by adolescents' independent mobility in road traffic environments.
| S-EPMC8943767 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveRoad traffic injuries (RTIs) are recognized as one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality throughout the world, especially in developing countries. Human behavior is reportedly one of the critical factors in the occurrence of such injuries. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the correlation of abnormal driving behaviors with the frequency and severity of RTIs among drivers in Hamadan, west of Iran.MethodsThe present cross-sectional study was conducted on 800 people driving, who were selected by multistage cluster sampling technique. Data were collected using a three-part self-administered questionnaire including demographic, social and driving characteristics; the Manchester driver behavior questionnaire (DBQ); as well as information on a history of the occurrence of the injuries caused by the crashes and the severity of them. Data were statistically analyzed using numerical indices, linear regression analysis, Pearson correlation, ordinal logistic regression model and multinomial logistic regression.ResultsThe highest and lowest mean percentages of abnormal driving behavior were related to unintentional violations (19.13) and Lapses (16.44), respectively. "Changing radio stations and listening to music while driving", "overtaking a driver who drives slowly", and "unintentionally exceeding the speed limit" were the three highest behaviors associated with road traffic injuries, with the mean and standard deviation of (1.93 ± 1.4), (1.90±1.4), (1.58±1.3), respectively. Age, gender, educational level, driving experience and driving hours during the day were significantly associated with DBQ dimensions and severity of road traffic injuries.ConclusionsThe results of this study showed that socio-demographic characteristics were significantly correlated with driving behavior. In addition, driving behaviors were correlated with traffic crashes and the resulting injuries. The findings of this study can be utilized to develop driving behavior interventions among the drivers.
| S-EPMC7486081 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background: As the world is busy addressing COVID-19, road traffic injuries, another major cause of death is continuously killing people on the roads. In Nepal, there were frequent media reports of occurrences of road crashes, injuries, and deaths despite nationwide lockdown. This paper aims to describe the situation of road traffic crashes and casualties during the period of complete lockdown. Methods: This study used secondary data from two sources: Nepal Police and media reports between 24 March and 14 June 2020 (because the government lifted the nationwide lockdown from 15 June 2020). Available details of crashes, deaths, and injuries for this period were extracted from media reports and the summary data that was obtained from the Police. We have included data from both sources in the results. Results: Nepal Police recorded 1,801 incidents of road crashes during the 82 days of the COVID-19 lockdown with 256 deaths (on average 3.1 deaths daily) and 1,824 injuries (on average 22.2 injuries daily). Motorcycles comprised over 21% of all vehicles involved in crashes. Ambulances and other vehicles for essential services were also found to be involved in crashes. Speeding itself was the cause for almost a quarter of the incidents during the lockdown. Conclusions: Although a reduction in the number of road crashes and related injuries and fatalities was observed, this reduction was not as substantial as anticipated during the heavy restrictions on vehicular movement imposed during the lockdown. Media reports were mainly found to be reporting the crashes where deaths occurred, but police records also included nonfatal injuries. The incidence of crashes in this period shows that it is important to work for road safety to save lives from road traffic crashes in Nepal.
| S-EPMC7818237 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundBoth road safety campaigns and epidemiological research into social differences in road traffic injury risk often assume that road traffic injuries occur close to home. While previous work has examined distance from home to site of collision for child pedestrians in local areas, less is known about the geographic distribution of road traffic injuries from other modes. This study explores the distribution of the distance between home residence and collision site (crash distance) by mode of transport, geographic area, and social characteristics in England.MethodsUsing 10 years of road casualty data collected by the police, we examined the distribution of crash distance by age, sex, injury severity, area deprivation, urban/rural status, year, day of week, and, in London only, ethnic group.Results54% of pedestrians, 39% of cyclists, 17% of powered two-wheeler riders and 16% of car occupants were injured within 1 km of home. 82% of pedestrians, 83% of cyclists, 54% of powered two-wheeler and 53% of car occupants were injured within 5 km of home. We found some social and geographic differences in crash distance: for all transport modes injuries tended to occur closer to home in more deprived or urban areas; younger and older pedestrians and cyclists were also injured closer to home. Crash distance appears to have increased over time for pedestrian, cyclist and car occupant injuries, but has decreased over time for powered two-wheeler injuries.ConclusionsInjuries from all travel modes tend to occur quite close to home, supporting assumptions made in epidemiological and road safety education literature. However, the trend for increasing crash distance and the social differences identified may have methodological implications for future epidemiological studies on social differences in injury risk.
| S-EPMC3680192 | biostudies-literature
Project description:This study investigates the important role of attendant factors, such as road traffic victims' access to trauma centres, the robustness of health infrastructure, and the responsiveness of police and emergency services in the incidence of Road Traffic Injuries (RTI) during the pandemic-induced COVID-19 lockdowns. The differential effects of the first and second waves of the pandemic concerning perceived health risk and legal restrictions provide us with a natural experiment that helps us differentiate between the impact of attendant factors and the standard relationship between mobility and Road Traffic Injuries. The authors use the auto-regressive recurrent neural network method on two population levels-Tamil Nadu (TN), a predominantly rural state, and Chennai, the most significant metropolitan city of the state, to draw causal inference through counterfactual predictions on daily counts of road traffic deaths and Road Traffic Injuries. During the first wave of the pandemic, which was less severe than the second wave, the traffic flow was correlated to Road Traffic Death/Road Traffic Injury. In the second wave's partial and post lockdown phases, an unprecedented fall of over 70% in Road Traffic Injury-Grievous as against Road Traffic Injury-Minor was recorded. Attendant factors, such as the ability of the victim to approach relief centres, the capability of health and other allied infrastructures, transportation and medical treatment of road traffic crash victims, and minimal access to other emergency services, including police, assumed greater significance than overall traffic flow in the incidence of Road Traffic Injury in the more severe second wave. These findings highlight the significant role these attendant factors play in producing the discrepancy between the actual road traffic incident rate and the officially registered rate. Thus, our study enables practitioners to observe the mobility-adjusted actual incidence rate devoid of factors related to reporting and registration of accidents.
| S-EPMC9122230 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveTo examine associations between gabapentinoids and adverse outcomes related to coordination disturbances (head or body injuries, or both and road traffic incidents or offences), mental health (suicidal behaviour, unintentional overdoses), and criminality.DesignPopulation based cohort study.SettingHigh quality prescription, patient, death, and crime registers, Sweden.Participants191 973 people from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register who collected prescriptions for gabapentinoids (pregabalin or gabapentin) during 2006 to 2013.Main outcome measuresPrimary outcomes were suicidal behaviour, unintentional overdoses, head/body injuries, road traffic incidents and offences, and arrests for violent crime. Stratified Cox proportional hazards regression was conducted comparing treatment periods with non-treatment periods within an individual. Participants served as their own control, thus accounting for time invariant factors (eg, genetic and historical factors), and reducing confounding by indication. Additional adjustments were made by age, sex, comorbidities, substance use, and use of other antiepileptics.ResultsDuring the study period, 10 026 (5.2%) participants were treated for suicidal behaviour or died from suicide, 17 144 (8.9%) experienced an unintentional overdose, 12 070 (6.3%) had a road traffic incident or offence, 70 522 (36.7%) presented with head/body injuries, and 7984 (4.1%) were arrested for a violent crime. In within-individual analyses, gabapentinoid treatment was associated with increased hazards of suicidal behaviour and deaths from suicide (age adjusted hazard ratio 1.26, 95% confidence interval 1.20 to 1.32), unintentional overdoses (1.24, 1.19 to 1.28), head/body injuries (1.22, 1.19 to 1.25), and road traffic incidents and offences (1.13, 1.06 to 1.20). Associations with arrests for violent crime were less clear (1.04, 0.98 to 1.11). When the drugs were examined separately, pregabalin was associated with increased hazards of all outcomes, whereas gabapentin was associated with decreased or no statistically significant hazards. When stratifying on age, increased hazards of all outcomes were associated with participants aged 15 to 24 years.ConclusionsThis study suggests that gabapentinoids are associated with an increased risk of suicidal behaviour, unintentional overdoses, head/body injuries, and road traffic incidents and offences. Pregabalin was associated with higher hazards of these outcomes than gabapentin.
| S-EPMC6559335 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundTo present the new trends in epidemiology of road traffic injuries (RTIs) during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Suzhou.MethodsPre-hospital records of RTIs from January to May in 2020 and the same period in 2019 were obtained from the database of Suzhou pre-hospital emergency center, Jiangsu, China. Data were extracted for analysis, including demographic characteristics, pre-hospital vital signs, transport, shock index, consciousness, pre-hospital death. A retrospective study comparing epidemiological characteristics of RTIs in Suzhou during the 5-month period in 2020 to the parallel period in 2019 was performed.ResultsA total of 7288 RTIs in 2020 and 8869 in 2019 met inclusion criteria. The overall volume of RTIs has statistical difference between the 2 years (p < 0.001), with fewer RTIs in 2020 compared with 2019. Electric bicycle related RTIs increased during the pandemic (2641, 36.24% vs 2380, 26.84%, p < 0.001), with a higher incidence of RTIs with disorder of consciousness (DOC) (7.22% vs 6.13%, p = 0.006).ConclusionsUnder the impact of COVID-19, the total number of RTIs in Suzhou from January to May 2020 decreased. This observation was coupled with a rise in electric bicycle related injuries and an increase in the incidence of RTIs with DOC.
| S-EPMC8312208 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesTo conduct a community survey to estimate the degree to which road traffic injuries (RTIs) are under reported and to compare the characteristics of RTI reported to the police to those not reported.DesignA cross-sectional population-based study.SettingKandy district, Sri Lanka.ParticipantsRTIs and deaths during the preceding 12 months were identified through a community-based cross-sectional survey with a sample size of 3080 households. A stratified multistage cluster sampling with population proportion to size was used. 'Events reported' to the police were cross checked against events in the police records of the given or adjacent police stations, and either were 'Events found' or 'Not found'. 'Under reported' included those 'Not reported' and those reported but 'Not found' in the police dataset.ResultsInformation about 11 724 persons were obtained from 3080 households, identifying 149 persons who suffered an RTI. Of these, 57% were 'Events reported', and of these 43.6% (n=65) were 'Events found' in police records (95% CI, 36.0 to 51.6). There were 42 events 'Not reported' to police while an additional 7 were 'Not found' in the police records of the given police station. Although they were claimed to have been reported to the police, 33% (95% CI 25.8 to 40.7) were 'Under reported'. There were significant differences in age (p=0.02), family income (p<0.001), road user type (p=0.001), injury severity (p<0.001) and injury category (p=0.01) between 'Events found' in the police records and 'Under reported' events.ConclusionsIn the Kandy district, 33% of RTIs were 'under reported'. These findings could be used as evidence for policy planning to prevent RTIs, and highlights the need for a nation-wide community-based survey to determine the true rates of RTI for a better understanding of the reasons for under reporting.
| S-EPMC3822300 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesEvery day, an average of 3,400 deaths and tens of millions of injuries occur as a result of traffic accidents. This study aims to model and validate road traffic injury (RTI) times series, specifically considering gender.Study designTime trend studies of monthly road traffic injuries (RTI) in Iran from March 2005 to February 2016, as well as those of males and females from March 2009 to February 2016 were performed.MethodsThe seasonal auto-regressive integrated moving average method (SARIMA) was employed to predict RTI time series. The final model was selected from various SARIMA models based on the Akaike information criterion (AIC) and the Bayesian information criterion (BIC). To examine whether the residuals were white noise, the Ljung-Box (LB) test and residuals plots were used for un-correlation, and the zero mean and stationarity, respectively. Additionally, smoothing methods were utilized to validate the SARIMA models for fitting and out-of-range prediction of the time series models under study. The sample auto-correlation function (ACF) and the partial autocorrelation function (PACF) with 20 lags were employed to determine the order of models and to ascertain if the residuals of the model were uncorrelated.ResultsBased on the obtained results, SARIMA (2,1,0)(0,1,1)12, SARIMA (0,1,1)(0,1,1)12, SARIMA (1,1,1)(0,0,1)12, and SARIMA (2,0,0)(1,0,0)12 were chosen for the time series including incidence rates of total road traffic injuries (IRTI), IRTI of males, females, and males-to-females, respectively. The AIC values were -87.57, 413.38, -732.91, and -85.32, respectively. The LB test for the residuals of the time series models of (0.539) IRTI, (0.3) IRTI of males, (0.23) females, and (0.237) males-to-females indicated that residuals were uncorrelated. Furthermore, prediction values for the next 24 months (2016 to 2018) showed no decline in the incidence rate of male and female traffic injuries. Results of the predictions using exponential smoothing methods indicated out-of-range prediction validity of the SARIMA models.ConclusionThis study exemplified the high efficiency of SARIMA models in predicting road traffic injuries (RTIs). Based on observations, the IRTI mean in Iran was 35.57 in 2016. The predicted values of the IRTI for 2016-2018 by the SARIMA model showed no decreasing trend. During the studied period, the observed values of IRTI for males were two to three times the female values. Thus, prediction of RTI can provide a useful tool for traffic safety policymaking by simulating interrupted time series when applying new traffic enforcement interventions and regulations in the future. Additionally, IRTI analysis of males and females showed that men had a non-increasing trend but higher incidence of traffic injuries, whereas the IRTI for women revealed an increasing trend from 2009 to 2012 with a lower incidence of injuries. This growth could be attributed to the impact of increased outdoor activities of women and the increased number of issued driving licenses in the period of 2009-2012.
| S-EPMC6508924 | biostudies-literature