To assess the short and long term effects of the demerit points system on seat belt use, we set a region-wide cross-sectional observational study 3 months before, and 3 and 15 months after the introduction of the scheme (July 2003) in the Veneto Region, Italy. We analysed differences in seat belt use by year of observation, gender and position in the vehicle, and obtained adjusted prevalence ratio (APR) through Poisson regression. A total of 29,303 drivers, 28,778 front and 12,186 rear passengers were observed. Prevalence levels of 54% for drivers and 53% for front passengers in 2003 switched to 83 and 76%, respectively, 3 months after the new legislation, with further slight increases 15 months thereafter. Seventy-four percent rear passengers were still not compliant with the legislation in 2005. The probability of being belted was 25% lower in males than females (APR=0.75, 95% CI 0.73-0.77) at the beginning of the study period. However, the effect of the new legislation was 19% greater among males (APR=1.19, 95% CI 1.16-1.23). A substantial increase in seat belt use was reached and sustained with the demerit points system. Specific efforts should target rear passengers whose seat belt use still remains worryingly low.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2007.06.001 | DOI Listing |
Natl J Maxillofac Surg
November 2024
Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Introduction: In Uttar Pradesh, India, there are many fatal head injuries as a result of road traffic accidents (RTAs). Studying the pattern and distribution of intracranial hemorrhages, a frequent complication of severe head trauma might provide vital information on the efficacy of traffic safety regulations. To improve road safety tactics and lower fatal head injuries in Uttar Pradesh, this study intends to assess the effect of road safety measures on the frequency and distribution of intracranial hemorrhages in fatal head injury patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Surg Case Rep
January 2025
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Naha City Hospital, Okinawa, Japan.
Introduction: Although abdominal organ damage due to motor vehicle accident is often evident immediately after the injury and urgent operation is performed, it has been reported that minor injuries such as hollow viscus may become apparent during the course of treatment and require urgent surgery.
Case Report: The Authors present the case of a 42-year-old female who developed peritonitis immediately after undergoing surgery for thoracolumbar fracture-dislocation caused by a traffic accident. The patient exhibited no abdominal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, or abdominal wall rigidity, and had no difficulty with oral intake preoperatively.
Accid Anal Prev
March 2025
USDOT Center for Advanced Multimodal Mobility Solutions and Education, United States; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, United States. Electronic address:
Speeding crashes remain high injury severities after the stay-at-home order in California, highlighting a need for further investigation into the fundamental cause of this increment. To systematically explore the temporal impacts of the stay-at-home order on speeding behaviors and the corresponding crash-injury outcomes, this study utilizes California-reported single-vehicle speeding crashes on freeways (access-controlled) and non-freeways (non-access-controlled) before, during, and after the order. Significant injury factors and in-depth heterogeneity across observations are identified by random parameter logit models with heterogeneity in means and variances.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSensors (Basel)
November 2024
SDU Health of Informatics, The Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Institute, Faculty of Engineering, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark.
This study introduces a novel seatbelt-integrated, non-invasive, beam-focusing metamaterial sensing system characterized by its thinness and flexibility. The system comprises a flexible transmitarray lens and an FMCW radar sensor, enabling the accurate detection and analysis of seatbelt usage and positioning through human tissue. The metasurface design remains effective even when subjected to different bending angles.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSensors (Basel)
November 2024
Institut de Recherche Robert-Sauvé en Santé et en Sécurité du Travail, Montréal, QC H3A 3C2, Canada.
Induction-based breathing sensors in automobiles enable unobtrusive respiratory rate monitoring as an indicator of a driver's alertness and health. This paper introduces a quantitative method based on signal quality to guide the integration of textile inductive electrodes in automotive applications. A case study with a simplified setup illustrated the ability of the method to successfully provide basic design rules about where and how to integrate the electrodes on seat belts and seat backs to gather good quality respiratory signals in an automobile.
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