A deterministic algorithm was developed which allowed data from Department of Transportation motor vehicle crash records, state mortality registry records, and hospital admission and emergency department records to be linked for analysis of the types of objects stuck in motor vehicle crashes in Connecticut in 1995, and their consequences. Only objects listed on the police reports as first object struck were analysed. Of 132,918 vehicular crash records, 14.4% were identified as having struck an object; similarly, fourteen percent of the crashes which resulted in treatment in the ED or in hospital admission visits were thus identified as having struck an object. Mean total hospital charges for these visits were $3,021; the mean length of stay for those visits resulting in an admission was slightly less than 5 days. Logistic regression analysis identified the most frequently reported factor correlated with striking an object to be driver illness (identified by traffic safety officer), followed by dark conditions and speeding. Deer were the first object struck almost 5% of the time, resulting in 1.7% of the hospital visits. The highest mean charges were for crashes involving a wall as first object struck, $5,986, while the first object struck resulting in the highest frequency of hospital visits were metal beam guide rails, in 13% of the cases (with mean total charges of $3,326). Wire rope guide rails and Jersey barriers resulted in lesser utilization of hospital services, while metal beam guide rails, vehicles off road, and trees resulted in greater medical utilization. Similarly, the largest number of fatalities resulted from crashes involving metal beam guide rails and trees as first objects struck. (A)
Abstract