Probationary and non-probationary drivers' nighttime crashes in Western Australia, 1996-2000.
BACKGROUND
This study was designed to explore the temporal aspects of crashes for probationary and non-probationary drivers.


METHODS
Data from the West Australian Road Injury Database from 1996-2000 were used to calculate age-sex-specific crash rates per 100,000 person-days and to plot proportions of fatal and hospital crashes by time for probationary and non-probationary drivers. The population attributable risk was used to estimate the potential number of lives saved by nighttime driving restriction in the probationary period.


RESULTS
Probationary drivers were seven times more likely to crash than non-probationary drivers. While the highest number of crashes was in the daytime, probationary drivers had a higher proportion of fatal or hospitalization crashes at night than non-probationary drivers.


CONCLUSIONS
Restrictions on driving at night could form part of graduated driver training. Even if some probationary drivers disobeyed the restriction, a substantial reduction in car occupant fatalities and hospitalizations could result.
Adams
Claire
C
University of Western Australia, Australia. claire@buntaize.net
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000639:trends*; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014904:Western Australia / Q000453:epidemiology