Back-over collisions in child pedestrians from the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program

Joint Effect of Heavy Vehicles and Diminished Light Conditions on Paediatric Pedestrian Injuries in Backover Crashes: A UK Population-Based Study

Backover crashes cause considerable injuries especially among young children. Prior research on backover crashes has not assessed the joint effect of heavy vehicles and diminished light conditions on injuries. By analysing the United Kingdom STATS19 crash dataset from 1991 to 2020, this study focused on backover crashes involving paediatric cyclists or pedestrians aged ≤17 years and other motorised vehicles. By estimating the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of multiple logistic regression models, pedestrians appeared to have 82.3% (95% CI: 1.78-1.85) higher risks of sustaining killed or serious injuries (KSIs) than cyclists. In addition, casualties involved in backover crashes with heavy vehicles were 39.3% (95% CI: 1.35-1.42) more likely to sustain KSIs than those involved in crashes with personal cars. The joint effect of heavy vehicles and diminished light conditions was associated with a 71% increased probability of sustaining KSIs (AOR = 1.71; 95% CI: 1.60-1.83). Other significant joint effects included young children (aged 0 to 5 years) as pedestrian (AOR = 1.92; 95% CI: 1.87-1.97), in diminished light conditions (AOR = 1.23; 95% CI: 1.15-1.31), and with heavy vehicle (AOR = 1.37; 95% CI: 1.28-1.47).

Incidence and Characteristics of Low-Speed Vehicle Run-Over Events in Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Children and Other Australian Children Aged 0 to 14 Years in Queensland: An 11-Year (1999-2009) Retrospective Analysis

The main objective of this study is to describe incidence rates (IRs) of low-speed vehicle run-over events among children aged 0 to 14 years in Queensland, Australia, from 1999 to 2009, by Indigenous Australian status. Data on low-speed vehicle run-over events among children aged 0 to 14 years in Queensland were obtained for 11 calendar years (1999-2009) from all relevant data sources using International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes, text description, word searches, and medical notes and were manually linked. Crude fatal and nonfatal IRs were calculated for Indigenous and non-Indigenous children; trends over time were analyzed by chi-square test for trend. Relative risks (RRs) were also calculated. Data on demographics, health service usage/outcomes, incident characteristics, and injury characteristics were obtained. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were performed in order to investigate whether these characteristics varied with Indigenous status. IRs were higher among Indigenous Australian children aged 0 to 14 years (21.76/100,000/annum) than other Australian children (14.09), for every year of the 11-year study. The age group most at risk for low-speed vehicle run-over events were young children aged 0 to 4 years, where incidence was 2.13 times greater among Indigenous Australian children (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.67-2.71). There were no significant changes in incidence of low-speed vehicle run-overs among Indigenous Australian children for 0 to 4, 5 to 9, and 10 to 14 years or overall (0-14 years), during the 11-year study period. Over three quarters (n = 107) of low-speed vehicle run-over events involving Indigenous Australian children occurred outside of major cities (43.7% in other Australian children). These data indicate that Indigenous Australian children are at increased risk of low-speed vehicle run-over events and that characteristics of these events may vary as a function of Indigenous status. These results highlight that culturally specific interventions to reduce low-speed vehicle run-over events are required.

Visibility of children behind 2010-2013 model year passenger vehicles using glances, mirrors, and backup cameras and parking sensors

This study identified the areas behind vehicles where younger and older children are not visible and measured the extent to which vehicle technologies improve visibility. Rear visibility of targets simulating the heights of a 12-15-month-old, a 30-36-month-old, and a 60-72-month-old child was assessed in 21 2010-2013 model year passenger vehicles with a backup camera or a backup camera plus parking sensor system. The average blind zone for a 12-15-month-old was twice as large as it was for a 60-72-month-old. Large SUVs had the worst rear visibility and small cars had the best. Increases in rear visibility provided by backup cameras were larger than the non-visible areas detected by parking sensors, but parking sensors detected objects in areas near the rear of the vehicle that were not visible in the camera or other fields of view. Overall, backup cameras and backup cameras plus parking sensors reduced the blind zone by around 90 percent on average and have the potential to prevent backover crashes if drivers use the technology appropriately.

Risk factors associated with injury and mortality from paediatric low speed vehicle incidents: a systematic review

Objective. This study reviews modifiable risk factors associated with fatal and nonfatal injury from low-speed vehicle runover (LSVRO) incidents involving children aged 0–15 years. Data Sources. Electronic searches for child pedestrian and driveway injuries from the peer-reviewed literature and transport-related websites from 1955 to 2012. Study Selection. 41 studies met the study inclusion criteria. Data Extraction. A systematic narrative summary was conducted that included study design, methodology, risk factors, and other study variables. Results. The most commonly reported risk factors for LSVRO incidents included age under 5 years, male gender, and reversing vehicles. The majority of reported incidents involved residential driveways, but several studies identified other traffic and nontraffic locations. Low socioeconomic status and rental accommodation were also associated with LSVRO injury. Vehicles were most commonly driven by a family member, predominantly a parent. Conclusion. There are a number of modifiable vehicular, environmental, and behavioural factors associated with LSVRO injuries in young children that have been identified in the literature to date. Strategies relating to vehicle design (devices for increased rearward visibility and crash avoidance systems), housing design (physical separation of driveway and play areas), and behaviour (driver behaviour, supervision of young children) are discussed.

Modeling pedestrian violation behavior at signalized crosswalks in China: a hazards-based duration approach

OBJECTIVE

Pedestrian violation is a major cause of traffic accidents involving pedestrians. The research objectives were to investigate the relationship between waiting duration and pedestrian violation and to provide a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the effects of human factors and external environmental factors on street-crossing behavior.

METHODS

Pedestrians' street-crossing behavior was examined by modeling the waiting duration at signalized crosswalk. Pedestrian waiting duration was collected by video cameras and it was assigned as censored and uncensored data to distinguish between normal crossing and violating crossing. A nonparametric baseline duration model was introduced, and variables revealing personal characteristics, traffic conditions, and trip features were defined as covariates to describe the effects of internal and external factors.

RESULTS

Pedestrians' crossing behaviors represented positive duration dependence that the longer the waiting time elapsed the more likely pedestrians would end the wait soon. The violation inclination of most pedestrians increased with the increasing waiting duration, but about 10 percent of pedestrians were at high risk of violation to cross the street. About half of pedestrians would still obey the traffic rules even after waiting for 50 s by the street. Human factors and the external environment played an important role in street-crossing behavior, especially for factors that involved pedestrians' subjective willingness.

CONCLUSIONS

The street-crossing behavior of pedestrians was time dependent. Pedestrians behave differently under the effects of various factors. Pedestrian safety interventions that aim at reducing pedestrian injuries may need to consider these effects. The pedestrians' behavioral modifications, such as enhancing the safety awareness, might be the most efficient means to reducing the likelihood of pedestrian violation, though environmental modifications also worked well in improving pedestrian safety.

Driveway runover, the influence of the built environment: a case control study

AIM

Driveway runover injuries are a frequent cause of paediatric mortality and morbidity throughout the world. Driveway runovers occur as a result of an interaction between human factors (child and driver), vehicle factors (visibility) and environmental factors (driveway design and surroundings). This study investigates the environmental factors involved in these injuries.

METHODS

Case control study, Auckland, New Zealand. Cases were the properties where paediatric driveway injuries (age < 7 years) requiring hospital admission had occurred. Control properties were selected from the addresses of children presenting to the emergency department with a non-driveway injury. Blinded assessment of properties was completed using satellite images, site visits and searches of council records.

RESULTS

Analysis was completed on 88 case properties and 181 controls. The risk of injury was increased by a driveway length greater than 12m (OR = 1.8, 95%CI = 1.1-3.0), exiting the driveway onto a local road (OR = 5.5, 95% CI = 2.7-11.2) and the driveway exiting onto a cul-de-sac (OR = 2.3, 95%CI = 1.4-3.9). The risk of driveway injury was increased when more parking areas were on the property (accessed from the driveway) (OR = 3.0, 95%CI = 1.6-5.4) and when the driveway runs along the property boundary (OR = 2.9, 95%CI = 1.6-5.2). A separate pedestrian pathway on the property was associated with a lower risk of injury (OR = 0.4, 95%CI= 0.2-0.9).

CONCLUSIONS

A number of built environment features contribute to driveway runover injuries. This information should be used by those within the design and building community to reduce the risk of further driveway runover injury.