Citation

Krantz P. Accid. Anal. Prev. 1979; 11(3): 225-236.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1979, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This communication discusses probable similarities and differences between single-vehicle and multiple-vehicle accidents. The investigation is based upon all fatal automobile accidents in the whole of Sweden [1975]. It is shown that single-vehicle accidents are more common on weekends and late in the day. Collisions between vehicles occurred often during bad weather conditions. Single-vehicle accidents happened more often on roads with lower speed limits than did collisions between vehicles. In single-vehicle accidents the drivers were markedly younger, more often drunken, and showed severe signs of social deviance. These features of the drivers in single-vehicle accidents significantly differed from drivers involved in collisions between vehicles even when results were corrected with regard to the fact that there are always two drivers involved in collisions between vehicles, and thus 50% of the drivers in these accidents supposedly represent what could be called average drivers. The use of seat belts and possession of driver's licenses were much lower in single-vehicle accidents. The question of psychopathic states in drivers involved in single-vehicle accidents is raised.