Citation

Larsen AA, Hole LW, MacKensie B. Proc. Am. Assoc. Automot. Med. Annu. Conf. 1970; 11(1967): 85-96.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1970, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

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Abstract

This is an analysis of the 151 so-called blackout crashes that occurred in British Columbia during 1966. Primarily, this study was undertaken to determine how many involved drivers truly had sudden loss of consciousness while at the control of a motor vehicle and whether anything in their records could have been used to predict that they were going to blackout. The role of medical defects as the precipitating cause of motor vehicle crashes must be established in proper perspective and the so-called blackout accident or sudden loss of consciousness is only one of many medical problems to be considered. A decision as to whether a specific medical condition constitutes driver limitation usually has to be made on the basis of what we hope is reason and common sense since we have few statistical correlates to go on. When we are faced with a crash that the driver claims was due to a lapse from consciousness it is worthwhile to examine the incident in detail. Conclusion: A small but significant number of crashes occurred in British Columbia during 1966 due to sudden loss of consciousness while driving a motor vehicle.
Though this study does not suggest that Motor Vehicle Branch records could have been used to predict a loss of consciousness in any specific instance, there is evidence that drivers with certain medical disabilities do become involved in "blackout" crashes and that these conditions should be considered more seriously than in the past.

Better basic records are essential if the real significance of medical disabilities as a cause of motor vehicle crashes is to be brought to light.