Rollover crashes: predicting serious injury based on occupant, vehicle, and crash characteristics.
The purpose of this research was to determine occupant, vehicle, and crash characteristics predicting serious injury during rollover crashes. We compared 27 case occupants with serious or greater severity injuries with 606 control occupants without injury or with only minor or moderate injury. Odds ratios (OR) for individual variables and logistic regression were used to identify predictive variables for serious injury associated with rollovers. Cases more often had thorax, spine, or head injury compared to controls that more often had extremity injuries. Intrusion (especially roof rail or B-pillar intrusion) at the occupant's position, the vehicle interior side and roof as sources of injury, and improper safety belt use were significantly associated with serious injury. Even when safety belt use or proper use was controlled for, occupants with greater magnitude of intrusion at their seat position were about 10 times more likely to receive serious injury. Although prevention of rollover crashes is the ultimate goal, it is important to develop safer vehicles and safety systems to better protect occupants who are involved in rollover crashes. This also requires improvement in data collection systems documenting these types of crashes.
Conroy
Carol
C
University of California, Department of Surgery, San Diego, USA. carol.conroy@sdcounty.ca.gov
Hoyt
David B
DB
Eastman
A Brent
AB
Erwin
Steve
S
Pacyna
Sharon
S
Holbrook
Troy Lisa
TL
Vaughan
Teresa
T
Sise
Michael
M
Kennedy
Frank
F
Velky
Tom
T
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001336:Automobiles / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D012449:Safety