The police in North Carolina and many other states rate traffic crash injury on a five point scale known as KABCO which consists of categories designated fatal (K), serious (A), moderate (B), minor (C), and non (O). These injury ratings comprise one of the key variables in the statewide traffic crash data base compiled in virtually every USA state. The purpose of this study is to examine 5 aspects of the use of the KABCO injury scale. Specific objectives in this report are: (1) describe factors present in the process by which investigating police officers arrive at judgments regarding severity of injury; (2) examine the injury rating system for possible bias in reporting according to age or sex; (3) compare the police officers' estimate of injury with those of physicians following the completion of a medical evaluation; (4) relate KABCO injury scores to other common injury severity indices; and (5) determine some of the prevailing characteristics of cases in which officer and physician ratings of injury differ markedly. (A)
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