Fatal motorcycle crashes in wide urban area of Zagreb, Croatia - A 10-year review

Znanstveni rad - Izvorni znanstveni rad

• Autor: Marija Baković
• Autor: Anton Mažuranić
• Autor: Vedrana Petrovečki
• Autor: Davor Mayer
• Autorova ustanova: Sveučilište u Zagrebu; Medicinski fakultet; (KATEDRA ZA SUDSKU MEDICINU)
• Znanstveno / umjetničko područje, polje i grana: BIOMEDICINA I ZDRAVSTVO; Kliničke medicinske znanosti; Sudska medicina

Sažetak (engleski)

Objective: The objective of our study was to determine the prevalence of alcohol and drug intoxication among fatally injured motorcyclists in a wide urban area of Zagreb, Croatia. ----- Methods: We conducted a single-center observational retrospective study over a 10-year period (2007-2016) in 3 counties covering an area including 1.2 million residents. We reviewed the records on fatally injured motorcyclists, collecting information relating to sex, age, cause of death, time of death in relation to the time of the crash, and the circumstances of the crash (time of day, day of the week, season). Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and toxicology analysis results were collected and analyzed. ----- Results: We identified 163 deaths (95.7% males, 4.3% females). Overall, 64.2% of the victims were 20 to 39 years old. The majority (50.9%) of those fatally injured were responsible for causing the traffic crash; the rest were determined not to be responsible or the responsibility could not be determined. The most frequent causes of death were multiple injuries (55.8%) and isolated head trauma (23.3%). The rider's BAC was above the legal limit for driving (>0.50 g/kg) in 53.8% of cases, with a mean BAC of 1.91 g/kg. There was no difference in riding a motorcycle with a BAC above the legal limit between groups defined as younger (≤39 years of age) and older (≥40 years of age). The number of people with an illegal BAC was significantly higher during weekends than during the work week. The BAC of riders who were responsible for the crash was significantly higher than that of those who were not responsible or whose responsibility could not be determined. Use of illegal drugs or nontherapeutic use of legal drugs was not common and was detected in 10.4% of fatally injured riders. ----- Conclusions: Alcohol intoxication has a major role in motorcycle crash-related mortality. A significant difference in BAC between fatally injured riders responsible for the accident and those who were not responsible implies that measures directed toward prevention of drinking and driving behavior could lower the number of fatal motorcycle crashes. Weekend measures, especially during spring and summer, could have particularly significant effects.

• Ključne riječi (engleski): Accidents, Traffic / mortality; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Blood Alcohol Content; Croatia / epidemiology; Driving Under the Influence / statistics & numerical data; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Motorcycles; Retrospective Studies; Urban Population / statistics & numerical data; Young Adult
• Jezik: engleski
• Vrsta publikacije: Znanstveni rad - Izvorni znanstveni rad
• Status objave: Objavljen
• Vrsta recenzije: Recenziran
• Verzija publikacije: Završna verzija rukopisa prihvaćena za objavljivanje (postprint)
• Naslov časopisa: Traffic Injury Prevention
• Brojčani podaci: vol. 20, br. 6, str. 655-660
• p-ISSN: 1538-9588
• e-ISSN: 1538-957X
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15389588.2019.1622007
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:105:574090
• Datum objave publikacije: 2019
• URL dokumenta: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15389588.2019.1622007
• Vrsta resursa: Tekst
• Prava pristupa: Otvoreni pristup
• Datum i vrijeme pohrane: 2021-01-18 10:57:02