In the study presented in this scientific poster, the names of 279 crash victims were identified from police accident reports (PARs) for crashes that occurred on 3 separate highways in Harris County, Texas. The data were collected for two 6-month periods (April to September) of 1995 and 1996 as part of a larger study of crashes that occurred prior to, and following, repeal of the national maximum speed limit. Emergency Department (ED) intake sheets and/or injury severity scores (ISSs) were obtained for those cases transported to 11 different area hospitals. The 1990 version of the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) was used. The ISS for each casualty was compared with the police-reported injury information using the KABCO scale for A (incapacitating injury), B (non-incapacitating injury), and C (possible injury) cases. An ISS equal to or greater than 9 was used to indicate major ("serious") injury. ISSs were available for 217 of the 279 cases identified. The data presented indicate relatively good agreement between police-reported injury information and ISSs for crash victims who sustained serious injuries. Use of the KABCO scale by these law enforcement officers was moderately successful in discriminating major (A-level) injuries from less serious B- and C-level injuries for the majority of the study population. However, no meaningful comparison could be drawn between the B- and C-level injuries.
Abstract