Using medico-legal data to investigate fatal older road user crash circumstances and risk factors

ABSTRACT

Objective: This study used medico-legal data to investigate fatal older road user (ORU, aged 65 years and older) crash circumstances and risk factors relating to 4 key components of the Safe System approach (e.g., roads and roadsides, vehicles, road users, and speeds) to identify areas of priority for targeted prevention activity.

Method: The Coroners' Court of Victoria's (CCOV) Surveillance Database was searched to identify and describe the frequency and rate per 100,000 population of fatal ORU crashes in the Australian state of Victoria for 2013–2014. Information relating to the deceased ORU, crash characteristics and circumstances, and risk factors was extracted and analyzed.

Results: One hundred and thirty-eight unintentional fatal ORU crashes were identified in the CCOV Surveillance Database. Of these fatal ORU crashes, most involved older drivers (44%), followed by older pedestrians (32%), older passengers (17%), older pedal cyclists (4%), older motorcyclists (1%), and older mobility scooter users (1%). The average annual rate of fatal ORU crashes per 100,000 population was 8.1 (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.0–10.2). In terms of the crash characteristics and circumstances, most fatal ORU crashes involved a counterpart (98%), of which the majority were passenger cars (50%) or fixed/stationary objects (25%), including trees (46%) or embankments (23%). In addition, most fatal ORU crashes occurred close to home (73%), on-road (87%), on roads that were paved (94%), on roads with light traffic volume (37%), and during low-risk conditions: between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. (44%), on weekdays (80%), during daylight (75%), and under dry/clear conditions (81%). Road user (RU) error was identified by the police and/or the coroner for the majority of fatal crashes (55%), with a significant proportion of deceased ORUs deemed to have failed to yield (54%) or misjudged (41%).

Conclusions: RU error was the most significant factor identified in fatal ORU crashes, which suggests that there is a limited capacity of the road system to fully accommodate RU errors. Initiatives related to safer roads and roadsides, vehicles, speed zones, as well as behavioral approaches are key areas of priority for targeted activity to prevent fatal ORU crashes in the future.

KEYWORDS:

• Older road users
• fatal older road user crashes
• medico-legal data
• Safe System approach
• road safety

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the State Coroner of Victoria Judge Sara Hinchey for the privilege of having access to the full coronial records. The authors also acknowledge the assistance of Heather Hoare, CCOV Records Officer.

Notes

1 Vehicle CWR is a measure of the risk of death or serious injury to a driver or passenger of that vehicle when it is involved in a crash (Newstead et al. 2016). It should be noted that a lower CWR is associated with a lower risk of death or serious injury to a driver or passenger of that vehicle when it is involved in a crash (Newstead et al. 2016).

Additional information

Funding

This project was funded through the Monash University Accident Research Centre's Baseline Research Program for which grants have been received from the Transport Accident Commission, Roads Corporation (VicRoads), and Department of Justice.