A motor vehicle accident (MVA) is any crash occurring on a road between one or more motor vehicles, including cars, motorbikes, scooters, trucks, buses, or pedestrians on public roads (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 1998). Motor vehicle accidents are a major health issue in Australia, being one of the leading causes of fatality and injury (Donovan, Fielder, Ouschan, & Ewing, 2011). While the number of accidents has significantly decreased over the years, MVAs are still a major issue in today’s society (Ramage-Morin, 2008). Mortality and injury rates of MVAs are dependent on geographic region, with different states having varying rates of MVAs. Additionally, MVAs impact majorly on the individual, with a high percentage developing Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) following the accident (Harvey, 1998). They also impact the economy and therefore society, with the cost of MVAs being approximately seventeen billion dollars annually in 2003 (Connelly & Supangan, 2006). Risk factors of MVAs are determined by the driver’s behaviour, such as speed and alcohol/drugs. Social factors are also a contributor, including age and gender. The final contributing risk factors are environmental, which include time and place. Age is one of the main leading risk factors to MVAs, which has had strategies implemented to control this and decrease the risk of accidents associated with age.
Firstly, the magnitude of MVAs in Australia has been considerably reduced, with the number of accidents falling year by year. However, this does not make this issue insignificant, as it is still a major problem. They are the second leading cause of fatality due to external damage (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare,...
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...Public Health. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-11-270
Harvey, A. C. a. B., Richard A. (1998). The Relationship Between Acute Stress Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Prospective Evaluation of Motor Vehicle Accident Survivors. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66(3), 507-512.
Hatfield, J., Fernandes, R., Faunce, G., & Job, R. F. S. (2008). An implicit non-self-report measure of attitudes to speeding: Development and validation. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 40(2), 616-627. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2007.08.020
Ramage-Morin, P. L. (2008). Motor vehicle accident deaths, 1979 to 2004. Health Reports, 19(3), 45-51.
Viallon, V., & Laumon, B. (2013). Fractions of fatal crashes attributable to speeding: Evolution for the period 2001–2010 in France. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 52(0), 250-256. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2012.12.024
To answer the first question one must see where we were, where they were, and what projections did they set for a 6 year projection goal. Abbott case study updated version 2012, or even now 2013 percentage rates. In 2013, Abbott global vehicle accidental rate had improved by 6 percent from the 2012 rate, to 4.8 accidents per million miles driven (Abbott, 2013). The long t...
The argument that Forestville should reverse a decision it made six months ago to raise its speed limit by 10MPH due to a 15% rise in accidents because accidents in Elmsford, a neighboring region, declined slightly, is inconclusive. A baseline study of traffic pattern disruptions and speed variances in Forestville and Elmsford. Comparing demographic data, location, rate, and type of accidents over more than six months might determine significant risk factors. Federal studies suggest that accidents rise if speed limits are raised on highways by as much as 5% for each 4 MPH. But on moderate speed limit roads, no such relationship exists.
"CDC -Injury - Teen Drivers: Fact Sheet." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web. 23 Mar. 2010. .
Driving is a privilege Americans have been afforded since the invention of the automobile in the late 1800’s. Yet with great power comes great responsibility. One of the responsibilities associated with being able to drive several tons of metal at high speeds is the responsibility of doing so without any distractions or impairments. Choosing to drive drunk puts not only the driver in danger, but also everyone else in the car and on the road. Currently, the average drunk driver will drive eighty times before getting caught by the police (1). On average, one third of all people will be involved in a drunk driving accident during the course of their lifetimes (7). Whereas driving drunk once can be seen as a mistake and a one-time lapse in judgment, choosing to recklessly ignore the law and the safety of others is a serious offense against society. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that one in three persons arrested for drunk driving are repeat offenders (2).
According to the Journal of Applied Behavioral Analysis, "automobile crashes are the leading cause of death for those aged 3 to 33, with 43,005 (118 per day) Americans killed in 2002 alone" (Clayton, Helms, Simpson, 2006). Worldwide, vehicle accidents consist of 1.2 millions deaths per year, "behind only childhood infections and AIDS as cause of death amount people aged 5 to 30 years old" (Clayton., 2006). The annual cost of road accidents is estimated about $518 billion"(Factor, Yair, Mahalel, 2013). The fact alone of being in a moving, heavy vehicle is a danger in itself but individuals that do not wear their seat belts, talk on the phone, text, and do other distracting behavior also put themselves in even more harmful situations.
The elimination of traffic regulations causes drivers to think for themselves and pay attention to the road rather than the laws of the road. Without set speed limits, motorists drive at a speed they feel comfortable and in control of. For example, large stretches’ of the Autobahn do not have a speed limit. While there are many people who drive at speeds in excess of one hundred and fifty miles per hour (Driving 150mph on the Autobahn, YouTube), but the average speed of the majority of vehicles is eighty miles per hour. This is merely ten miles per hour faster than the speed limits on most comparable United States highways. Even though there is no set speed limit on large portions of the Autobahn, fatalities are much lower than that of rural highways in the United States, despite having no speed limit. Another study concerning speed limits involved measuring the speed of vehicles in a given area. Next the posted speed limits were either raised or lowered the speed limit. After the speed limit was altered vehicle speed was measured again. The study found, regardl...
Accidents and fatalities are an immense concern for the population of elderly drivers in America. Statistics show that, at age 65, driving becomes much more difficult for people (Davis & DeBarros). Licensed drivers over the age of 85 have a fatality rate four times more than that of teenagers and five and a half times more than middle-aged drivers (Davis & DeBarros). Davis and DeBarros report that, “Elderly drivers are less likely to be involved in crashes involving high speeds or alcohol but are more likely to crash at intersections where they miss a stop sign or turn left into oncoming traffic” (Davis & DeBarros).
Statistics show 16- to 17-year-old driver death rates increase with each additional passenger, which is due to distracted driving. Taking your eyes off the road for 2 (two) seconds, at 60 mph, means you have driven blindly for half the length of a football field. The risk of fatality is 3.6 times higher, when they are driving with passengers than when alone. For many years, the correlation between driving behavior and age has interested highway safety researchers and administrators. It is general knowledge that the greatest risk of motor vehicle crash...
a plethora amount of car accidents. However, most car accidents are caused by old citizens. Every day, seniors die in a car accident because they don't pay close enough attention to the road. Some elderlies don’t want to give up their keys because their car represents freedom but, they are part of the reason why thousands of people are dead. Seniors citizens are considered a risk on the road because there have been an abundance amount of accidents due to these reasons; the loss of eyesight, the ability to react quickly and the new medication that can cause them to be drowsy.
What is as dangerous if not more dangerous than murder and suicide? A car accident is. Being in the seat of a vehicle put’s a driver’s life in jeopardy the instant they are in the seat of a vehicle. Adam Ford explains drivers licenses were issued first in the 1900s and conditions have changed substantially: More powerful cars exist, and more are on the road (Ford). With this notion, Ford explains why cars are more dangerous on the road; however, the types of cars that exist in present times are not the sole reason the road is more dangerous. John Pearson states, car accidents are the leading cause of death from ages three to thirty-five world-wide (Pearson). Mainly, drivers cause these car accidents. Cellphone usage in the US is one of the central contributors to car crashes, because the habits shaped from cellphone usage, such as texting generate danger. According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 500,000 people were injured and 5,500 were killed by distracted driving in 2009 (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). The road has become a progressively hazardous place with distracted driving on the increase. Additionally, alcohol misuse causes increased danger while in a car. Ralph Hingson, a Sc.D., states that of all alcoholic-related crashes in 2002, 4 percent caused death, and 42 percent caused injury. Hingson further asserts, in dissimilarity of the crashes that did not involve alcohol, 0.6 percent caused deaths, and 31 percent caused injury (Hingson). Deaths and injuries increased this much cannot be taken lightly. Furthermore, age is also a factor in why car crashes have increased in the last decade. Youth drivers are the primary users of cellphones, which means that they text...
In rare occurrences workplace injury leads to death while the majority of injuries are minor. The national OHS strategy 2002-2012 by the Australian government has set a target to reduce fatality rate by 20% over the decade. The data from Safe Work Australia statistical report 2009-2010, shows a 10% decrease over 5 years to 2008, an increase in 2009 and a decrease in 2010 (Graph 1). The increase in 2008-2009 was among 15-24 years age group with 95% being male workers.
Again, it makes the headlines; an older driver causes a dangerous automobile crash. As the amount of elderly driving has increased in the past decade, the risk for others to be out on the road has increased. In 2012, there were 36 million licensed older drivers in the United States. (Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation (US)) As a 34% increase from 1999, it has been noted that seniors are driving past their ability by an average of 10 years. (Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation (US)). Elderly continue to drive despite the prominent physiological changes that worsen as they age. The amount of automobile collisions suggests that prevention must occur in order to make the roads safer. By examining older drivers’ medical complications, older drivers must be retested to be able to drive a vehicle.
Based on available resources, 40000 people die each year in car accidents. This figure is an intimidating figure because it show the occurrence of death in a crash. In this accident, the leading cause of death is people under the age of 35 years old. Safety belts can prevent death in about half of these accident.
Next, many people have either died or have been injured in motor vehicle accidents, each year there are about 5 million people injured in vehicle related accidents (The Environmental Impact of Automobiles). Although this all m...
“The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status, or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we all believe that we are above-average drivers” -Dave Barry, comedian. The number of accidents over the last ten years have drastically increased, drivers are paying less attention to the road itself. Many individuals behind the wheel of a car believe that their driving does not affect the road conditions, however it always will. The driving habits of today are catastrophic due to the reasoning that the driving will affect other lives through reckless or distracted driving, and disobeying traffic laws.