Using data linkage to generate 30-day crash-fatality adjustment factors for Taiwan.
Different countries have their own police reporting time standards for counting the number of fatalities in reported crashes. A rapid estimation method (such as adjustment factor) for the comparison is important. The data-linkage technique was used to combine police-reported crash data and vital registration data, in order to generate 30-day fatality adjustment factors for various reporting time standards, which could also shed light on the fatal injury trend over time. The major findings were as follows. Firstly, a conservative 30-day fatality adjustment factor for the first day (or 24 h) would be 1.54 (or 1.35) in an area with a large motorcycle population, like Taiwan. This produced 20-40% higher 30-day fatalities than UK Transport Research Laboratory predicted, and 15-25% higher fatalities than those in Europe/Japan. Secondly, after excluding motorcycle impacts, the Taiwanese factors suggested 8-14% higher fatalities within 30 days than those in Europe/Japan. Third, motorcycle fatalities influenced the overall 30-day fatality trend within 3 days. In the future, both the police under-reporting problem and the motorcycle/overall fatal injury pattern within 3 days after crashing in developing countries like Taiwan merit further investigation.
Lai
Ching-Huei
CH
Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Central University, No. 300, Jungda Rd., Jhongli City, Taoyuan 320, Taiwan. chlai@mail2000.com.tw
Huang
Wei-Shin
WS
Chang
Kai-Kuo
KK
Jeng
Ming-Chang
MC
Doong
Ji-Liang
JL
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005060:Europe; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D009049:Motorcycles / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013624:Taiwan; D013997:Time Factors