Age, gender and early morning highway accidents.
Accident register data, time budget studies and road traffic flow data were used to compute the age and gender-dependent relative risk [odds ratio (OR)] of being involved in a driving accident in which the driver was injured or killed. Alcohol-related accidents were excluded from the analysis. The results showed that the night-time risk, compared with that of the forenoon, was dramatically increased (OR=5) for young drivers (18--24 years) and reduced for old (65+) drivers. In direct comparison, the young drivers had 5-10 times higher risk of being involved in an accident during late night than during the forenoon, with the excess risk during the daytime being considerably lower. Women had a less pronounced night-time peak than men. In direct comparison, men had twice as high a risk as women during the late night hours. The results clearly demonstrate a strong effect of young age on night-time accident risk, together with a moderate effect of (male) gender.
Akerstedt
T
T
National Institute for Psychosocial Factors and Health and Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. torbjorn.akerstest@ipm.ki.se
Kecklund
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G
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001334:Automobile Driving; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D005221:Fatigue / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors