Burden and factors associated with highway work-zone crashes, on a section of the Karachi-Hala Road, Pakistan.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the burden and factors associated with highway work-zone (HWZ) crashes.


METHODS
Historical cohort.


METHODS
Section of the Karachi-Hala Road, Pakistan (196 km).


METHODS
Police-reported crashes and traffic statistics from January 2006 to December 2008.


METHODS
Crash and death risk between the HWZ and other zones for a 50 km section were compared. Crash locations were described for a further 146 km section on which factors associated with HWZ crashes were assessed.


RESULTS
HWZ crashes accounted for 15.0% of traffic crashes (N = 180) and 30.8% of road fatalities (N = 91) on the 196 km section. Rates were higher in the HWZ than other zones for crashes (rate ratio (RR) = 2.35, 95% CI = 1.17 to 4.70) and deaths (RR = 4.70, 95% CI = 2.11 to 10.46). Opposite-direction crashes (adjusted OR (aOR) = 10.65, 95% CI = 3.22 to 35.25) and traffic crashes involving pedestrians (aOR = 6.03, 95% CI = 1.39 to 26.20) and on wet surfaces (aOR = 7.26, 95% CI = 4.15 to 48.89) were significantly associated with the HWZ.


CONCLUSIONS
These results support the introduction of prevention measures such as strict traffic enforcement, traffic separation, improving pedestrian visibility, and hazard signage at HWZs in Pakistan. The feasibility and effectiveness of these measures remains to be evaluated.
Equipe Avenir Prévention et Prise en Charge des Traumatismes, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unité 897, INSERM U897, Bordeaux, France. junaid.bhatti@yahoo.com
Junaid Ahmad
JA
Bhatti
Junaid Abdul
JA
Razzak
Emmanuel
E
Lagarde
L Rachid
LR
Salmi
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D016495:Police / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011996:Records; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*