Citation

Brown BP, Salmi LR, Lecours S, Battista RN. Am. J. Public Health 1985; 75(8): 871-874.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1985, American Public Health Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

4025647

PMCID

PMC1646342

Abstract

The injury experience related to motor vehicle crashes on four bridges and one tunnel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, from 1978 to 1982, are described. Particular attention is given to the Jacques Cartier Bridge, publicly perceived as being excessively dangerous. Data from the Quebec Automobile Insurance Board and police reports confirm an excess of deaths (19/34; rate ratio = 4.5) and severe injuries (69/109; rate ratio = 6.2) on the Jacques Cartier Bridge, and the association of 74 per cent of the fatalities and 64 per cent of the severe-injury cases on this bridge with a single curve. Crashes follow a consistent pattern; vehicles fail to negotiate the curve and strike vehicles moving in the opposite direction. The demonstrated association between crashes and design factors provides a basis for identifying effective remedial and preventive measures.