atv safety summit: state legislation (enforcement) - knowledge and compliance with road use laws
DESCRIPTION
Gerene Denning, of the University of Iowa Department of Emergency Services, presented this at CPSC's ATV Safety Summit Oct. 12, 2012. High Proportions of Roadway Deaths and Injuries on ATVs Suggest Poor Knowledge and Compliance with Road Use Laws. Objectives: To compare fatal and non-fatal ATV crashes on and off the road. Methods: Retrospective studies were performed using national fatality data (CPSC) and statewide injury data. Results: From 1985-2009, 62% of U.S. ATV deaths resulted from roadway crashes, and roadway deaths since 1998 have increased at a greater rate than off-road deaths. Fatal roadway crashes were more likely than off-road crashes to result in multiple deaths and to involve multiple riders, higher alcohol use, more collisions, and more head injuries. Similarly, non-fatal Iowa roadway crashes (2002-2009) involved more passengers, alcohol use, and collisions as compared to off-road crashes. Helmet use was significantly lower in roadway crashes relative to off-road; and more severe injuries overall, including head injuries, characterized roadway crashes. Both studies showed helmets reduced the likelihood of head injury. Conclusion: Despite road use laws, over half of U.S. ATV-related deaths and one-third of serious injuries in Iowa resulted from roadway crashes. We hypothesize that multiple risk factors exacerbate the inherent difficulty of safely operating ATVs on roads, and that speed and lack of protective equipment increase injury severity. Improving knowledge and enforcement of road use laws may be an effective way to reduce ATV-related deaths and injuries.TRANSCRIPT
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High Proportions of Roadway Deaths and Injuries on ATVs Suggest Poor
Knowledge and Compliance with Road Use Laws
Gerene Denning, PhDCharles Jennissen, MDKarisa Harland, PhD
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Background
22 states, including Iowa, have road use laws restricting use to work-related purposes.
However, survey studies suggest that riding on the road is a widespread practice, including among Iowa youth:
• 81% of Future Farmer’s of America (FFA) members (Burgus et al. 2009)
• 82% of 4 H Clubs of America members (Hafner et al 2010)
• 81% Iowa school students (11-16 yrs old) (Jennissen et al.)
In addition, West Virginia reported that 60% of statewide ATV-related deaths were due to crashes on the roadway (Helmkamp et al. 2008).
Why and how are ATVs more dangerous on the road?
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Not all tires are created equal.
Automobile Tires
Well inflated automobile tires with
good tread are designed to GRIP and RELEASE the ROAD
surface to help maintain control of the
vehicle.
ATV Tires
Under-inflated, knobby ATV tires are designed to
handle UNEVEN, ROUGH off-road
surfaces.
They can GRAB the road surface and throw a rider off, or cause the
ATV to ROLL OVER,
particularly while turning.
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Many factors contribute to loss of control on the road.
Need wider turning radius than road is
designed for.
CM
Entering roadway from ditch has
visibility problems.
Knobby tires can grab when accelerating.
High center of gravity.
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Objective of Our Studies
To compare roadway and off-road deaths and injuries to determine whether there were differences in:
Demographics
Riding practices and risk factors
Injury outcomes, including head injuries
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Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) National
Fatality Database
Iowa Statewide ATV Injury Surveillance Database
Data Sources Used
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Iowa ATV Injury Surveillance Database
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Fatal crashes have increased at a greater rate on the roadway vs. off.
•Dramatic increase followed expiration of the 10-Year Consent Decree.
•Fatal roadway crashes increased at more than twice the rate of off-road crashes.
•From 1985-2009, 62% of all fatal ATV crashes were on the roadway!
0
100
200
300
400
500
600 RoadwayOff-Road
48 + 2.8More Roadway
Deaths/yr
20 + 1.8More Off-road
Deaths/yr
Year
Roadway vs. Off-Road Deaths Per Year
10-Year Consent Decree
CPSC Fatality Database
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Teens and young adults are over-represented in roadway deaths.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
RoadwayOff-Road
Age Range
% of Roadway vs. Off-Road Deaths by Age
Off-road > Roadway
Off-road > Roadway
Roadway > Off-Road
CPSC Fatality Database
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ATV-related injuries also disproportionately affect the young.
Iowa Injury Surveillance Database
30% 33%
70% 67%
64%58%
36%42%
Approximately 3 out of 10 injuries in our database were among
victims less than 16 years of age.
Twice that number (6 out of 10) involved victims 25 years of age
and younger.
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Fatal roadway crashes were more likely to involve multiple deaths than off-road crashes.
Single vs. Multiple Fatalities per CrashN= 3,658 Crashes (1985-2009)
Fatalities Roadway Off-Road
Single 97% 99%
Multiple 3% 1%
Roadway vs. Off-Road Why were roadway crashes 3X more likely to involve multiple
deaths?
aOR 3.15
95% CI 1.95-5.09
P value <0.0001
CPSC Fatality Database
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69%16%
15%
75%
13%
12%
CPSC Fatality Database
31% Multiple Riders 25% Multiple Riders
Fatal roadway crashes involved more multiple riders than off-road crashes.
>
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More than 1 out of 10 non-fatal Iowa crash victims were passengers.
Iowa Injury Surveillance Database
16% 15%
84% 85%
Over 50% of passenger victims were female and over 60% were children under the age of 16.
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Fatal and non-fatal roadway crashes were more likely than off-road crashes to involve collisions.
Injury Mechanism Roadway Off-Road Relative risk
ATV-Vehicle Collision 35% 5% Odds Ratio 4.7
ATV-Other Collision 27% 20% 95% CI 3.51-6.34
Rollover 38% 74% P value <0.001
Fatality Mechanism Roadway Off-Road Relative risk
ATV-Vehicle Collision 29% 6% Odds Ratio 10.4
ATV-Other Collision 37% 22% 95% CI 8.9-12.2
Rollover 34% 72% P value <0.001
CPSC Fatality Database
Iowa Injury Surveillance Database
Over 10 times
Almost 5 times
ATVs on the roadway are a serious traffic safety hazard!
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Involved Alcohol Roadway Off-Road Relative risk
Yes 13% 8% Odds Ratio 1.91
No 87% 92% 95% CI 1.09-3.36
P value <0.001
Fatal and non-fatal roadway crashes were more likely than off-road crashes to involve alcohol.
Involved Alcohol Roadway Off-Road Relative risk
Yes 45% 30% Odds Ratio 1.96
No 55% 70% 95% CI 1.74-2.21
P value <0.001
CPSC Fatality Database
Iowa Injury Surveillance Database
Almost twice
Almost twice
Better enforcement of laws prohibiting alcohol use are needed!
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Vehicles in fatal crashes are getting bigger and more powerful.
1985-1990 1991-1998 1999-2003 2004-20090
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
225-350 cc
<90 cc
100-200 cc
375-450 cc
475-600 cc
625-750 cc
775-900 cc
Years
CPSC Fatality Database
Do higher rates of roadway fatalities reflect the growing popularity of large vehicles capable of achieving highway speeds?
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Head injuries are among the leading causes of death and disability from ATV
crashes.
Roadway vs. Off-Road Outcomes
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Fatal and non-fatal roadway crashes were associated with more head injuries.
CPSC Fatality Database Iowa State Trauma Registry
Fatal Roadway vs. Off-road crashes were 2X more likely to
involve a head injury.
Non-fatal Roadway vs. Off-roadcrashes were 3X more likely to
involve a head injury.
66%
50%
34%
50%
74%
90%
9% 5%
17%
5%
Crashes Glasgow Coma Scale
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Helmets reduced the likelihood of head injuries.
Helmets reduced the likelihood of head injury:
•77% for Iowa non-fatal crashes.
•46% for national fatal crashes.
Fatal Non-fatal
Roadway Off-Road Roadway Off-Road
Helmet useP value
16%p<0.0001
24% 14%p<0.01
23%
All states need ATV helmet laws that are effectively enforced!
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CPSC Fatality Database
62% of fatal ATV crashes occurred on the roadway.
ATV-related roadway fatalities were more likely than off-road fatalities to involve:
• Teens and young adults
• Multiple deaths
• Multiple riders
• Collisions with another vehicle
• Alcohol
• Head injuries
ATV-related roadway fatalities were less likely than off-road fatalities to involve:
• Helmet use among riders.
Helmets reduced the risk of head injury.
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Iowa ATV Injury Surveillance Database
ATV-related roadway injuries were more likely than off-road injuries to involve:
•Teens and young adults
•Collisions with another vehicle
•Alcohol
•Head injuries
•Severe trauma (ISS >15)
ATV-related roadway injuries were less likely than off-road injuries to involve:
•Helmet use among riders
Helmets reduced the risk of head injury.
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Conclusions
ATV riders in states with road use laws are not complying with the law.
Compliance with laws requires:
• Knowledge of the laws.
• Enforcement of the laws.
• Removal of economic barriers with compliance.
ATV riders in states with the following laws also appear to have poor compliance.
• No passenger laws.
• Alcohol prohibition.
• Helmet laws.
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To reduce ATV-related deaths and injuries…
All states need evidence-based ATV
laws that are effectively enforced.
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Deaths And Injuries From ATV Crashes Are Preventable!
To prevent deaths and injuries and their accompanying financial costs, we need:
• EDUCATION and Public Awareness
• ENGINEERING Safer Vehicles
• ENFORCEMENT of Evidence-Based Public Health and Safety Laws
It takes all stakeholders working together.
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THANK YOU
When we have the power to save lives and health, we have the responsibility to do so.