This paper is only available as a PDF. To read, Please Download here.
Abstract
The present study analyses fatal road traffic accidents involving private cars and
vans in Finland during the period 1972–1982, in which an injury to the cervical spine
was the main cause of death. The material consists of 289 victims; this being 10.5
per cent of all the fatalities in this category of road traffic accidents. Front seat
and rear seat passengers seem to have an equal risk of sustaining a fatal cervical
spinal injury. However, front seat passengers have a significantly greater chance
(P < 0.001) of having fatal cervical spinal injuries than the drivers. Of the victims
21.1 per cent had worn safety belts but there was no statistical difference between
those who did and those who did not wear safety belts. Increasing age seems to increase
the risk of fatal cervical spinal injuries. Patients between 16 and 25 years of age
had the lowest risk and patients over the age of 60 had the highest risk of sustaining
a fatal cervical spinal injury (P < 0.001).
In 48.1 per cent of the cases, the victims were multiply injured and this is similar
to other main causes of death in road traffic accidents. Wearers of safety belts had
significantly (P < 0.001) more multiple injuries. Of the patients who died of cervical injury, only
8.8 per cent survived transportation to hospital and 1.4 per cent survived longer
than 24 hours. A direct blow was the most common mechanism of the cervical injury
(47.1 per cent) and deceleration was found in 13.1 per cent of the cases. Deceleration
was more common in victims wearing safety belts (P < 0.001).
The wearing of safety belts could well have saved 39.1 per cent of the fatally injured
victims. Furthermore, head and neck supports could have saved 14.3 per cent of the
victims whose cervical spinal injury was caused by deceleration.
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to InjuryAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- High cervical spine and craniocervical junction injuries in fatal traffic accidents: a radiological study.Orthop. Clin. North Am. 1978; 4: 1003
- Analysis of fatal blunt trauma presenting at an area-wide trauma center.Ill. Med. J. 1975; 1: 511
- Injury patterns with and without seat belts.in: Proceedings of the 6th IAATM Conference, Melbourne1977: 423
- Belt induced injuries: a comparison between laboratory surrogates and real world accident victims.in: Proceedings of the 19th Stapp Car Crash Conference, San Diego1975: 1
- Air bags and seat belts in injury amelioration.J. Trauma. 1976; 9: 686
- The Protection Afforded by Seat Belts.in: TRRL Suppl. 449. Transport Road and Research Laboratory, Crowthorne, Berks1979
- The rear seat auto-mobile passenger in frontal crashes.in: Proceedings of the 22nd AAAM Conference. 1978: 141
- Cervical fractures and fracture-dislocations sustained without head impact.J. Trauma. 1978; 18: 533
- Traffic Accident Statistics of the Finnish Insurance Companies 1972–1982. 1983; (Helsinki)
- A case study survey on accidents involving heavy vehicles in Finland.Technical Research Center of Finland, Research Notes 29. 1981;
- The role of forensic pathologist in the investigation of fatal traffic accidents—the Finnish system.Forensic Sci. Int. 1978; 12: 203
- Two-year mortality in 760 patients transported by helicopter direct from road accident scene.Am. J. Surg. 1979; 45: 101
- Experiences gained in intensive care of surgical patients.Ann. Chir. Gynaecol. 1973; 62
- Head and neck injuries to motorcycle and moped riders with special regard to the effect of protective helmets.Injury. 1985; 16: 253
- Estimates of motor vehicle seat belt effectiveness and use: implications for occupant crash protection.Am. J. Public Health. 1976; 66: 859
- Causes of death after severe trauma.Ann. Chir. Gynaecol. Fenn. 1967; 56: 313
- Forensic pathological experiences after the first year of mandatory belt wearing in the Federal Republic of Germany.in: Proceedings of the 6th IAATM Conference, Melbourne1977: 365
- Injuries in fatal traffic accidents.Acta Chir. Scand. 1962;
- Injuries sustained by car occupants using safety belts.Ann. Chir. Gynaecol. Fenn. 1967; 56: 424
- Traumamekanism.in: Rokkanen P. Traumatologi. Forssan Kirjapaino, Forssa1980: 10
- The Effect of Seat Belts in Severe Traffic Accidents.in: Report no. 27. Liikenneturva, Helsinki1983
- Specific Features in Road Traffic Injuries.in: Report no. 26. Liikenneturva, Helsinki1983
- Traffic deaths in Finland.J. Traffic Med. 1983; 11: 16
- The effects of vehicle mass, speed and safety belt wearing on the causes of death in road traffic accidents.Ann. Chir. Gynaecol. 1984; 73: 14
- The effects of seat belt legislation on road traffic injuries.NZ J. Surg. 1977; 47: 150
- In-depth Analysis of Fatalities to Wearers of Seat Belts. Department of Motor Transport, New South Wales Traffic Accident Research Unit, 1976
- Fatalities in car occupants in Sweden in 1975 and the effect of seat belt legislation.in: Proceedings of the 6th IAATM Conference, Melbourne1977: 512
- Analysis of (115) fatally and (205) severely injured seat belt users.in: Proceedings of the 6th IAATM Conference, Melbourne1977: 392
Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
October 25,
1985
Identification
Copyright
© 1986 Published by Elsevier Inc.
