Highlights The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration State Data System (NHTSA-SDS) is a potentially useful collection of police-reported crash data from participating U.S. states. Analysis of traffic crashes using the NHTSA-SDS shows that mortality is more likely in rural areas, even after restricting to persons with a severe (incapacitating or fatal) injury and controlling for other known factors. The estimated effects of rural location in this study were similar to effect estimates previously obtained using the NHTSA National Automotive Sampling System. The NHTSA-SDS is currently limited by data inconsistencies among the states, but as these become more uniform and more states participate the value of NHTSA-SDS for injury epidemiology should increase.
Abstract Introduction The population-based rate of motor vehicle crash mortality is consistently higher in rural locations, but it is unclear how much of this disparity might be due to geographic barriers or deficiencies in emergency medical services (EMS). We sought to analyze separately factors associated with the occurrence of a severe injury and those associated with death after injury had occurred. Methods Data from all police-reported crashes in 11 states from 2005–2007 were obtained through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) State Data System (SDS). Logistic regression was used to estimate factors associated with (1) death; (2) severe (incapacitating or fatal) injury; and (3) death given severe injury. Models included covariates related to the person, vehicle, and event; county location was specified using Rural–Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC). Results Older age, not wearing a belt, ejection, alcohol involvement, high speed, and early morning times were associated with increased risk of both severe injury and death. Controlling for these factors, and restricting analysis to persons who had suffered a severe injury, the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) associated with death was higher for counties classified rural (RUCC 6–7, aOR 1.23, 95% CI 1.16–1.31) or very rural (RUCC 8–9, aOR 1.31, 95% CI 1.18–1.46). Conclusions Persons severely injured in crashes are more likely to die if they are in rural locations, possibly due to EMS constraints. As NHTSA-SDS data become more available and more uniform, they may be useful to explore specific factors contributing to this increased risk.
Evaluating adverse rural crash outcomes using the NHTSA State Data System
Accident Analysis and Prevention ; 82 ; 257-262
2015-06-13
6 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
Evaluating adverse rural crash outcomes using the NHTSA State Data System
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