Observational Failures/Distraction and Disease Attack/Incapacity as Cause(s) of Fatal Road Crashes in Finland

Abstract

Objective: To study the incidence of health-related conditions and observational failures/distraction (OFD) as an immediate cause for fatal motor vehicle accidents (FMVA) and to correlate them with driver's age.

Methods: Retrospective study of all FMVA in Finland secondary to OFD from January 1995 to December 2005 and FMVA secondary to a disease attack/incapacity (DA) from January 2003 to December 2004.

The data were based on the final investigation reports of the Finnish Motor Insurers' Centre. The cases were categorized into the three following groups: 1) vehicle crashes due to OFD of the driver, 2) pedestrian-vehicle accidents due to the driver's OFD, and 3) pedestrian-vehicle accidents due to the pedestrian's OFD. In the second part, 54 autopsy reports from FMVA resulting from a DA of the driver between the years 2003–2004 were revisited and the health-related causes of the accident were investigated.

Results: Oldest age group (> 65 years) had the highest prevalence of FMVA secondary to an OFD. We estimated that in 20–30% of all FMVA affecting subjects > 65 years an impairment of cognitive functions might have played a role. Analysis of the DA that the inspection teams had concluded to have been the immediate risk factor for the FMVA revealed that these accidents accounted for 10.3% of all FMVA in 2003–2004. Cardiovascular diseases were most often involved.

Conclusions: OFD as an immediate cause of FMVA began to play a role from the age of 60 years onwards. The role of health conditions as a cause of FMVA was higher than expected. Cardiovascular disease (70%) was found to be the leading medical condition that inhibited the driving task among the DA related to FMVA in Finland.

Keywords:

• Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents
• Observational Failure/Distraction
• Diseases Attack/Incapacity

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Crash data report: Assistance by The Finnish Travel Insurer's Center. The authors would like to thanks Esa Nysten of the Finnish Travel Insurer Center for statistical advice.

All authors have had full access to all the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

The authors would like to thank the Helsinki University Research Fund TYH 3316 and 6243; Evald and Hilda Nissin Foundation; Mary och Georg C. Ehrnrooths Foundation; Henry Ford Foundation; Friends of the Blind Foundation; and the Finnish Eye Foundation.