Hawaii Strategic Highway Safety Plan: SEAT BELT USEOCCUPANT PROTECTION

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Hawaii Strategic Highway Safety PlanSEAT BELT
USE/OCCUPANT PROTECTION

• Dan Galanis
• Injury Prevention and Control Program
• Hawaii Department of Health
• 1250 Punchbowl St., Room 214
• Honolulu, HI 96813
• Ph 586-5943
• E-mail daniel.galanis_at_doh.hawaii.gov

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Overview of presentation

• Fatal traffic crashes (292 crashes, killing 335
  residents)
• State/national comparisons (CDC data)
• Overall data (FARS)
• Trends, county comparisons
• Associated factors among drivers age, gender,
  speeding, alcohol/drug use, time, day of week,
  etc.
• Non-fatal traffic crashes
• Seating position, county comparisons, trends, age
• MVAR/DOT crash data
• Descriptions of injuries
• Hospital and emergency department (ED) records
• Trauma Registry data (Queens Hospital)
• Data from observational studies

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Percent of fatally injured occupants who were not
wearing seat belts, by state, 2001-2005
Percent unrestrained for Hawaii 53
(40th) Percent for rest of U.S. 57
not restrained
HI
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Rates of non-use of seat belts among fatally
injured occupants,in Hawaii, by seat position,
2001-2005
 
 
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Unrestrained occupants killed in traffic crashes
in Hawaii, by county, 2001-2005
 
 
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Characteristics of drivers involved in fatal
crashes in Hawaii, 2001-2005
indicates statistically significant
difference between restrained and unrestrained
drivers
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The injury pyramid for injuries to car
occupants in Hawaii
Deaths 1 (67/yr.)
Hospitalizations 12 1 death (810/yr.)
Emergency department visits 91 1
death (6,100/yr.)
Traffic crashes (police attended) 77 1
death (5,170/yr., including 2,510 possible
injuries)
Includes only residents of Hawaii
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Rates of non-use of seat belts among occupants
involved in non-fatal traffic crashes in Hawaii,
by seat position, 2001-2005
 
 
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Unrestrained occupants involved in
non-fataltraffic crashes in Hawaii, by county,
2001-2005
 
 
denotes statistically significant trend
over 5-year period
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Unrestrained occupants involved in
non-fataltraffic crashes in Hawaii, by age,
2001-2005
 
 
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Unrestrained occupants involved in
non-fataltraffic crashes in Hawaii, by age and
gender, 2001-2005
 
 
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Injury status of occupants involved in
majortraffic crashes in Hawaii, by restraint
status, 2001-2005
 
 
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Car occupants admitted into the Queens Trauma
Registry, 2001-2005

• Seatbelt use 66 (2 in 3)
• Higher for drivers (72) vs. passengers (54)
• Restrained occupants were less likely to
• Have a TBI (41 vs. 62 for unrestrained)
• Have a spinal cord injury (1.3 vs. 2.4 for
  unrestrained)
• Have a fatal injury (1.3 vs. 4.1 for
  unrestrained)
• Alcohol use among those (49) tested
• More common among unrestrained occupants (49),
  compared to restrained occupants (37)
• More common among unrestrained drivers (52),
  compared to restrained drivers (35)

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Data from observational studies of occupant safety
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Observed seat belt use rates among front seat
occupants in Hawaii, by county, 2002-2005
 
 
a indicates observations collected from
January-March of that year, b indicates
observations collected during June of that year
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Observed seat belt use rates among front seat
occupants in Hawaii, 2005

• Restraint use is higher for
• Drivers than in passengers (95.8 vs. 94.0)
• Occupants of cars than in trucks (96.5 vs.
  92.3)
• Occupants in high traffic volume than in low
  traffic volume (95.5 vs. 91.5)
• Occupants in high speed zones (55 mph) than in
  low speed (lt25 mph) zones (96.4 vs. 92.7)
• Occupants traveling in morning than in
  afternoon/evening (96.3 vs. 94.7)

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Data summary for non-use of seat belts among
occupants

• How much?
• 53 of deaths to occupants (32 residents each
  year) Only about 4 of those in non-fatal
  crashes, but non-use is
  directly related to injury severity Decreasing
  trends across the state (increasing use)
• Who? Younger occupants in general
  toddlers (2-3 yrs.) and teens. Males
  somewhat
• Where? Generally comparable across counties
  Maui somewhat higher
• Why? Associations with alcohol and drug use,
  speeding, and other high risk behaviors
  among drivers

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Observed car seat use rates among child occupants
in Hawaii, by county, 2001-2005
 
 
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Fatal crashes

• Fatal crash/FARS data
• Traffic only, i.e. crashes on public roads
• Excludes crashes in parking lots, driveways,
  military bases, gated sub-divisions, etc.
• Includes only passenger vehiclescars, pickups,
  SUVs, vans, etc.
• Excludes motorcycles, mopeds, buses, limos,
  large trucks (semis, 3 axles, 6 tires)
• Unintentional in nature
• Excludes deaths of undetermined intent (3
  crashes, 1 of total)
• Excludes 19 crashes (6) that did not involve a
  Hawaii resident fatality
• Excludes 6 crashes (2) that only involved
  fatalities among truck bed passengers
• Final sample 335 resident occupants killed in
  292 crashes