Michigan Fatal and Serious Injury Traffic-Crash Patterns: 1994-1998

摘要

This report details facts and figures relevant to a better understanding of211u001epossible causes of and prevention implications for deaths and serious injuries 211u001edue to traffic crashes in the state of Michigan during the period January 1994 211u001ethrough December 1998. Select results in brief: Statistical analyses suggest that 211u001ethe performance goals selected by OHSP are appropriate. Michigan experienced a 211u001egeneral decline in the proportion of fatal or serious-injury (KA) crashing from 211u001e1994 to 1998, however, this decline is smaller than it has been in the past and 211u001emay foreshadow an upswing in crashes. It is reasonable to target male drivers age 211u001e21-34 years in particular to help OHSP achieve its traffic safety goals. The 211u001esummer months remain good targets for program efforts, but we may need to revisit 211u001eprograms during May and December because of recent increases in crashes during 211u001ethese months. The vast majority of KA crashes occur on city/county roads, thus it 211u001eis rational to continue to focus efforts on reducing the KA crash count on these 211u001ecity/county roads. By far the largest vehicle group involved in KA crashes is 211u001epassenger cars. Because of the hazard drivers age 14-18 present to themselves and 211u001eothers as demonstrated by their crash rates, this is an important, if small, 211u001etarget group. Drivers age 70 and over represent only 10% of all KA crash cases 211u001eand do not have higher crash rates than the 'average' driver, and thus are not a 211u001epromising target group for achieving the overall traffic safety goals set by 211u001eOHSP. Males age 21-34 have the largest number of crashes and higher rate of KA-211u001eHBD 'had been drinking' crash involvement. The largest reductions in KA-HBD 211u001ecrashes have occurred on months and days that have had the historic highs. The 211u001eeffect seems to be toward leveling off month-to-month, day-to-day variation. This 211u001emay mean that we are beginning to see the boundaries of the 'hard-core' problem 211u001ewith respect to KA-HBD crashes. There are as many pedestrians that experience KA 211u001einjury in crashes as rear-seat occupants (about 1,000 each year).