A case study is presented, to examine the association between sensory deficit and the risk of collisions between child pedestrians and motor vehicles. 190 children under 15, resident in the Auckland area of New Zealand, were studied, who were admitted to hospitals as a result of an injury occurring on a public road between 1 January 1992 and 1 March 1994. The control sample consisted of 479 children, chosen at random from the Auckland area, and approximately frequency-matched on gender and age. Relative risks were estimated by calculating odds ratios and confidence intervals. Of the 190 child pedestrians injured, 30 were struck by vehicles failing to stop at pedestrian crossings. The risk of pedestrian injury, for children whose parents reported abnormal vision, was over four times that of children with reported normal vision. The risk of injury, for children whose parents reported abnormal hearing, was nearly twice that of children with reported normal hearing. The results suggest that children with sensory deficits, for example in vision or hearing, constitute a high-risk group for pedestrian injury. Paediatricians, caring for children with sensory impairments, should be made aware of this risk and also advise parents of the risk.
Abstract