The objective of this study was to identify hazards and risks in ambulance transport, by combining epidemiological and biomechanical approaches to hazard and crashworthiness data collection and analysis. The epidemiological approaches included mining federal databases and field data collection. The biomechanical approaches included conducting crash tests of ambulance vehicles under real world crash circumstances to determine what forces occur on the vehicle and the occupants and to test injury mitigating countermeasures for occupants. It was found that ambulance transport is associated with predictable and likely preventable occupant hazards. The ambulance transport environment includes predictable and preventable occupant risks. Failure to use current methods of occupant protection for each occupant or to secure equipment effectively can result in catastrophic outcomes to all occupants. Hostile interior surfaces suggest a need to modify the ambulance interior, including optimization of the restraint systems and improved head protection for the occupants. There is an urgent need for dissemination of this safety information and to develop data driven performance based safety standards and designs in the USA.
Abstract