Systematic review of military motor vehicle crash-related injuries.
BACKGROUND
Motor vehicle crashes account for nearly one third of U.S. military fatalities annually. The objective of this review is to summarize the published evidence on injuries due specifically to military motor vehicle (MMV) crashes.


METHODS
A search of 18 electronic databases identified English language publications addressing MMV crash-related injuries between 1970 and 2006 that were available to the general public. Documents limited in distribution to military or government personnel were not evaluated. Relevant articles were categorized by study design.


RESULTS
The search identified only 13 studies related specifically to MMV crashes. Most were case reports or case series (n=8); only one could be classified as an intervention study. Nine of the studies were based solely on data from service-specific military safety centers.


CONCLUSIONS
Few studies exist on injuries resulting from crashes of military motor vehicles. Epidemiologic studies that assess injury rates, type, severity, and risk factors are needed, followed by studies to evaluate targeted interventions and prevention strategies. Interventions currently underway should be evaluated for effectiveness, and those proven effective in the civilian community, such as graduated driver licensing, should be considered for implementation and evaluation in military populations.
Krahl
Pamela L
PL
Chemical Biological Incident Response Force, Indian Head, Maryland 20640, USA. pamela.krahl@usmc.mil
Jankosky
Christopher J
CJ
Thomas
Richard J
RJ
Hooper
Tomoko I
TI
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055826:Afghan Campaign 2001-; D016206:Databases, Bibliographic; D006801:Humans; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018986:Motor Vehicles / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology