title: Survival risk factors for fatal injured car and motorcycle drivers in single alcohol-related and alcohol-unrelated vehicle crashes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A high percentage of drivers who die as a result of a single vehicle crash are under the influence of alcohol. We aimed to better understand the prevalence of these fatalities and the ratio of death to injuries based on various risk factors. We focused on alcohol-related and -unrelated single-vehicle crashes to investigate the influence of such risk factors on the time until death for car and motorcycle drivers.
  
  
  METHODS
  We combined data from national police reports and a vital registration database in Taiwan. Survival analysis using Cox regression models was used to identify the risk factors of time until death.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, nearly 60% of car driver fatalities and 40% of motorcycle driver fatalities involved the consumption of alcohol. Survival analysis of single-vehicle crashes suggested that the traffic island separation between a car moving at a higher speed and motorcycle traffic resulted in a higher risk of death over time for motorcycle drivers who consumed alcohol. The factors attributed to a higher risk of death over time for motorcycle drivers were older age, crashing into trees, night-time driving, driving on curved roads, and driving on local roads. Driving without restraints and driving on roads with higher speed limits attributed to a higher risk of death over time for car drivers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The factors that influence the risk of death over time in a motor-vehicle accident involving alcohol depended on different elements, which should each be considered when attempting to reduce this risk.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More efforts should be made to investigate the various risk factors in areas with large motorcycle populations.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Design Science, Tatung University, No. 40, ChungShan North Rd., 3rd Section, Taipei 104, Taiwan, R.O.C. stanleyhuang@mail2000.com.tw
authors.forename: Wei-Shin
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Ching-Huei
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lai
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009049:Motorcycles; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013624:Taiwan; D055815:Young Adult