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BMC Public Health Oct 2023The impact of young drivers' motor vehicle crashes (MVC) is substantial, with young drivers constituting only 14% of the US population, but contributing to 30% of all... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND
The impact of young drivers' motor vehicle crashes (MVC) is substantial, with young drivers constituting only 14% of the US population, but contributing to 30% of all fatal and nonfatal injuries due to MVCs and 35% ($25 billion) of the all medical and lost productivity costs. The current best-practice policy approach, Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) programs, are effective primarily by delaying licensure and restricting crash opportunity. There is a critical need for interventions that target families to complement GDL. Consequently, we will determine if a comprehensive parent-teen intervention, the Drivingly Program, reduces teens' risk for a police-reported MVC in the first 12 months of licensure. Drivingly is based on strong preliminary data and targets multiple risk and protective factors by delivering intervention content to teens, and their parents, at the learner and early independent licensing phases.
METHODS
Eligible participants are aged 16-17.33 years of age, have a learner's permit in Pennsylvania, have practiced no more than 10 h, and have at least one parent/caregiver supervising. Participants are recruited from the general community and through the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Recruitment Enhancement Core. Teen-parent dyads are randomized 1:1 to Drivingly or usual practice control group. Drivingly participants receive access to an online curriculum which has 16 lessons for parents and 13 for teens and an online logbook; website usage is tracked. Parents receive two, brief, psychoeducational sessions with a trained health coach and teens receive an on-road driving intervention and feedback session after 4.5 months in the study and access to DriverZed, the AAA Foundation's online hazard training program. Teens complete surveys at baseline, 3 months post-baseline, at licensure, 3months post-licensure, 6 months post-licensure, and 12 months post-licensure. Parents complete surveys at baseline, 3 months post-baseline, and at teen licensure. The primary end-point is police-reported MVCs within the first 12 months of licensure; crash data are provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
DISCUSSION
Most evaluations of teen driver safety programs have significant methodological limitations including lack of random assignment, insufficient statistical power, and reliance on self-reported MVCs instead of police reports. Results will identify pragmatic and sustainable solutions for MVC prevention in adolescence.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
ClinicalTrials.gov # NCT03639753.
Topics: Adolescent; Humans; Accidents, Traffic; Automobile Driving; Licensure; Parents; Transportation
PubMed: 37848929
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16801-6 -
Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem 2023to map evidence on educational technology use for accident prevention due to falls in childhood. (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
to map evidence on educational technology use for accident prevention due to falls in childhood.
METHODS
a scoping review, carried out in October and November 2022, in the MEDLINE, Web of Science, BDENF and CINAHL databases and LILACS bibliographic index. There was no delimitation of language or time. Data were extracted and analyzed descriptively by two independent researchers. The research protocol was registered in the Open Science Framework.
RESULTS
twenty-six studies were selected. Booklets, pamphlets and leaflets were the most used technologies, presenting health services as the most frequent environment to develop research on fall prevention. The technologies developed were important outcomes: increased knowledge of children, family members, caregivers, health and education professionals.
CONCLUSIONS
educational technology use makes it possible to increase knowledge, adopt safe practices and reduce falls.
Topics: Child; Humans; Accident Prevention; Family; Caregivers; Educational Technology
PubMed: 38088710
DOI: 10.1590/0034-7167-2022-0807 -
Scientific Reports May 2024Drink driving is an infamous factor in road crashes and fatalities. Alcohol testing is a major countermeasure, and random breath tests (RBTs) deter tested drivers and...
Drink driving is an infamous factor in road crashes and fatalities. Alcohol testing is a major countermeasure, and random breath tests (RBTs) deter tested drivers and passersby (observers who are not tested). We propose a genetic algorithm (GA)-based RBT scheduling optimisation method to achieve maximal deterrence of drink driving. The RBT schedule denotes the daily plan of where, when, and for how long tests should occur in the road network. The test results (positive and negative) and observing drivers are considered in the fitness function. The limited testing resource capacity is modeled by a number of constraints that consider the total duration of tests, the minimum and maximum duration of a single test site, and the total number of test sites during the day. Clustering of the alcohol-related crash data is used to estimate the matrix for drink driving on the scheduled day. The crash data and traffic flow data from Victoria, Australia are analysed and used to describe sober/drink driving. A detailed synthetic example is developed and a significant improvement with 150% more positive results and 59% more overall tests is observed using the proposed scheduling optimisation method.
Topics: Humans; Breath Tests; Alcohol Drinking; Algorithms; Automobile Driving; Accidents, Traffic; Driving Under the Influence
PubMed: 38806613
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63026-7 -
Ulusal Travma Ve Acil Cerrahi Dergisi =... Oct 2023The percentage of e-scooter use quickly escalated in our community due to its convenience, low cost, and eases of use. The number of accidents causing high-energy...
BACKGROUND
The percentage of e-scooter use quickly escalated in our community due to its convenience, low cost, and eases of use. The number of accidents causing high-energy traumas has also increased. This study aims to describe the demographic char-acteristics and fracture patterns of patients admitted to the emergency department following an e-scooter accident and to identify common, correctable factors that increased the likelihood of accidents.
METHODS
Between January 2022 and August 2022, 43 patients (20 females and 23 males) who were admitted to the emergency department after an e-scooter accident and developed extremity fractures were included. The patients were divided into 2 groups those treated surgically and conservatively. Parameters such as the time of the accident, education level of the user, alcohol use, e-scooter malfunction, and compliance with traffic rules were evaluated.
RESULTS
Accidents that led to treatment by surgery mostly occurred between 11 pm and 7 am. Surgically treated patients were mostly high school graduates. Alcohol use and recreational scooter use rates were statistically higher in the operated patients when compared to patients who were treated conservatively. The number of patients who reported a malfunction in the e-scooter was significantly lower in the operated group than in the conservative group. The rates of accidents due to non-compliance with traffic laws, driving at full speed of the e-scooter, use on the driveway, and presence of wet ground at the time of the accident were higher in the surgically treated patient group. Surgically treated patients also had a higher rate of being 1st time e-scooter users.
CONCLUSION
Although governments have introduced many regulations regarding e-scooter use, the current situation seems insufficient in solving the problem. E-scooter users should be further educated about the associated risks. Authorities should tighten their supervision of scooter rental companies and drivers. Nighttime usage conditions should be reviewed, and the use of alcohol should be controlled. The use of helmets should be mandatory. If such regulations are tightened, accident rates can be reduced or high-energy impacts from existing accidents can be avoided. The results suggest that experienced, slow, non-alcoholic, and rule-abiding drivers require less operative treatment. This article will hopefully raise awareness and improve e-scooter regulations.
Topics: Male; Female; Humans; Accidents, Traffic; Dreams; Accidents; Fractures, Bone; Hospitalization; Emergency Service, Hospital; Retrospective Studies; Head Protective Devices
PubMed: 37791439
DOI: 10.14744/tjtes.2023.35848 -
Applied Ergonomics Sep 2023Interaction with vulnerable road users in complex urban traffic environments poses a significant challenge for automated vehicles. Solutions to facilitate safe and... (Review)
Review
Interaction with vulnerable road users in complex urban traffic environments poses a significant challenge for automated vehicles. Solutions to facilitate safe and acceptable interactions in future automated traffic include equipping automated vehicles and vulnerable road users, such as cyclists, with awareness or notification systems, as well as connecting road users to a network of motorised vehicles and infrastructure. This paper provides a synthesis of the current literature on communication technologies, systems, and devices available to cyclists, including technologies present in the environment and on motorised interaction partners such as vehicles, and discusses the outlook for technology-driven solutions in future automated traffic. The objective is to identify, classify, and count the technologies, systems, and devices that have the potential to aid cyclists in traffic with automated vehicles. Additionally, this study aims to extrapolate the potential benefits of these systems and stimulate discourse on the implications of connected vulnerable road users. We analysed and coded 92 support systems using a taxonomy of 13 variables based on the physical, communicational, and functional attributes of the systems. The discussion frames these systems into four categories: cyclist wearables, on-bike devices, vehicle systems, and infrastructural systems, and highlights the implications of the visual, auditory, motion-based, and wireless modes of communication of the devices. The most common system was cyclist wearables (39%), closely followed by on-bike devices (38%) and vehicle systems (33%). Most systems communicated visually (77%). We suggest that interfaces on motorised vehicles accommodate cyclists with visibility all around the car and incorporate two-way communication. The type of system and the effect of communication modality on performance and safety needs further research, preferably in complex and representative test scenarios with automated vehicles. Finally, our study highlights the ethical implications of connected road users and suggests that the future outlook of transport systems may benefit from a more inclusive and less car-centred approach, shifting the burden of safety away from vulnerable road users and promoting more cyclist-friendly solutions.
Topics: Humans; Accidents, Traffic; Bicycling; Technology; Communication; Attitude
PubMed: 37156127
DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2023.104043 -
Annali Di Igiene : Medicina Preventiva... 2024Globally, injuries pose significant public health challenges, with road traffic accidents in particular being responsible for considerable morbidity, mortality, and...
INTRODUCTION
Globally, injuries pose significant public health challenges, with road traffic accidents in particular being responsible for considerable morbidity, mortality, and economic distress. Italy has been significantly impacted due to its high population density and frequency of road traffic and domestic incidents.
METHOD
This study set out to investigate the incidence of self-reported road traffic and home and leisure accidents in the Italian general population. A particular emphasis was placed on exploring possible gender differences across varying age groups. The data was obtained from the European Health Interview Survey and a representative sample of the Italian population was analyzed.
RESULTS
The analysis revealed that regardless of age, women experienced a reduced risk of road traffic accidents compared to men. However, gender disparities in home-leisure accidents were observed to be age-dependent. Women under the age of 25 exhibited a lower likelihood of home-leisure accidents and serious accidents necessitating hospital admission in comparison to their male counterparts. In contrast, women aged 65 and above had an increased likelihood of home-leisure accidents as opposed to men in the same age category.
CONCLUSIONS
The findings of this study highlight the importance of considering age and gender as significant factors in the occurrence of different types of accidents, offering insight into how injury rates vary between these demographic groups within Italy.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Accidents, Traffic; Hospitalization; Incidence; Italy; Self Report; Wounds and Injuries
PubMed: 38639188
DOI: 10.7416/ai.2024.2620 -
F1000Research 2023Road accidents claim around 1.35 million lives annually, with countries like India facing a significant impact. In 2019, India reported 449,002 road accidents, causing...
Road accidents claim around 1.35 million lives annually, with countries like India facing a significant impact. In 2019, India reported 449,002 road accidents, causing 151,113 deaths and 451,361 injuries. Accident severity modeling helps understand contributing factors and develop preventive strategies. AI models, such as random forest, offer adaptability and higher predictive accuracy compared to traditional statistical models. This study aims to develop a predictive model for traffic accident severity on Indian highways using the random forest algorithm. A multi-step methodology was employed, involving data collection and preparation, feature selection, training a random forest model, tuning parameters, and evaluating the model using accuracy and F1 score. Data sources included MoRTH and NHAI. The classification model had hyperparameters 'max depth': 10, 'max features': 'sqrt', and 'n estimators': 100. The model achieved an overall accuracy of 67% and a weighted average F1-score of 0.64 on the training set, with a macro average F1-score of 0.53. Using grid search, a random forest Classifier was fitted with optimal parameters, resulting in 41.47% accuracy on test data. The random forest classifier model predicted traffic accident severity with 67% accuracy on the training set and 41.47% on the test set, suggesting possible bias or imbalance in the dataset. No clear patterns were found between the day of the week and accident occurrence or severity. Performance can be improved by addressing dataset imbalance and refining model hyperparameters. The model often underestimated accident severity, highlighting the influence of external factors. Adopting a sophisticated data recording system in line with MoRTH and IRC guidelines and integrating machine learning techniques can enhance road safety modeling, decision-making, and accident prevention efforts.
Topics: Random Forest; Accidents, Traffic; India
PubMed: 38221988
DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.133594.2 -
PloS One 2023Cattle-related injuries are a significant contributing factor in 84.3% of livestock-related incidents in Hokkaido Japan. The specific countermeasures to respond to its...
Cattle-related injuries are a significant contributing factor in 84.3% of livestock-related incidents in Hokkaido Japan. The specific countermeasures to respond to its characteristics are needed because cattle move freely. This study examined the JA Kyosai mutual aid payment claim form data of the agricultural work-related incidents that occurred from 1st January 2013 to 31st December 2016. We extracted incidents coded 'Cattle' term on the 'Causing Stuffs/Animals' column as cattle-related injuries and analysed them. In four years, there were 227 cattle-related incidents and all were non-fatal cases. The most common age group of victims were in their 60s (37.9%). The Therapy duration was 1 to 243 days, with one day being the most common (10.1%); however, in 51.5% of the cases it required more than 30 days. The most common Activity at the moment of the incident was 'bringing the cattle' (22.5%), of which 'leading the cattle by rope' (56.9% of bringing) was most frequently mentioned. Even farmers with significant experience with cattle cannot control cattle proficiently. Neither can they predict cattle behaviour. Hence, cattle should be kept under protected contact. Since prevention of incidents has limits, harm reduction to farmers must be considered. In the short-term planning, isolated pathways and shock-absorbing lead rope are effective in preventing injuries. However, a more long-term perspective must consider, a fully automated system that reduces human contact with cattle on farms.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Accidents, Occupational; Japan; Agriculture; Farms; Farmers
PubMed: 37506082
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289210 -
Nursing Open Dec 2023To analyse the perception of patient safety culture among nursing students and to compare patient safety outcomes between the different year nursing groups.
AIM
To analyse the perception of patient safety culture among nursing students and to compare patient safety outcomes between the different year nursing groups.
DESIGN
A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with nursing students (n = 266) between first and fourth years from one university in Spain.
METHODS
The project was conducted during the 2020/21 academic year. The data were collected using a translated and adapted version of the "Hospital Survey on Patient Safety" developed by the Agency of Healthcare Quality (AHQR).
RESULTS
Significant differences were found between the year of study of the nursing degree and whether or not specific training in patient safety culture had been received. The nursing students who had received specific training gave scores lower than anyone else in all questionnaire items, but only the indicators of "good practice" (p = 0.00) and "frequency of reported events" (p = 0.0012) showed significant differences. In some cases, fourth-year students had lower significant mean scores in their "perception of patient safety within unit/sector," "indicators of good practice" and "total score."
PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION
Adverse events related to clinical practice continue to be a global problem. Improvements in patient safety require an increase in the patient safety culture of professionals and the promotion of development facilitators. Clinical practice and specific theoretical training foster greater awareness and demand related to patient safety, which is of interest when it comes to the development of new programmes that combine both methodologies and improve their effectiveness. Patient safety will continue to be a focus for all healthcare systems. The patient safety culture of future healthcare professionals should be developed at the university level in order to avoid unnecessary adverse events.
Topics: Humans; Cross-Sectional Studies; Patient Safety; Students, Nursing; Safety Management; Perception
PubMed: 37859574
DOI: 10.1002/nop2.1995 -
Journal of Safety Research Jun 2024The questions 'what is safety?' and 'what is it that safety researcher's study?' are at the very core of safety research as an academic discipline. One might therefore...
INTRODUCTION
The questions 'what is safety?' and 'what is it that safety researcher's study?' are at the very core of safety research as an academic discipline. One might therefore assume that the discipline is based on clear answers to these questions, answers that are unanimously shared among the great majority of safety researchers. Strangely enough, this is not the case, and this lack of consensus is a major problem, because, as Leveson (2020) points out, without it "everyone starts from a different definition of safety and communication is inhibited." By 2014 this lack of clarity and consensus had become so obvious that there was an entire journal special issue dedicated to the topic. That discussion led to a clarification of the problems, but failed to solve them. Several contributors have since proposed solutions, none of which have gained widespread support.
METHOD
This paper argues that there is still a gap in our theoretical conceptualization, and proposes that safety fundamentally refers to positive value: specifically, the quality of experiences and objects that make people desire them. It is not operations, or persons, or objects that are safe, it is the various valuable qualities that can be lost and that are safe as long as they are preserved. As the future is fundamentally uncertain, all attempts at preserving values or valuables for a desired duration can only rest on assessments of the probability that one will manage to preserve them. Hence, this study proposes the following definition: Safety is the material, emotional and mental state that obtains when it is highly probable that all relevant positive values will be preserved for a desired duration, and the knowledge supporting this probability assessment is strong.
Topics: Humans; Safety; Safety Management
PubMed: 38858033
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsr.2024.02.004