Citation

Moseley AL, Tunny JC, Burnstine M, Segal MD. Proc. Am. Assoc. Automot. Med. Annu. Conf. 1963; 7: 269-274.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1963, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine)

DOI

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PMID

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Abstract

This paper concerns the investigation of fifty cases reported to us as traffic death cases, and forty-nine proved to be so. Four of these cases involved three vehicles, thirteen involved two vehicles and thirty-three involved one vehicle, and one of these was a pedestrian case. Eighty deaths occurred in these cases.

Fifty traffic cases were studied, in forty-nine of which there was at least one death. Eighty deaths were the results of the collisions. Causal factors include importantly in descending order: 1) Vehicle failure. 2) Street or highway failure. 3) Driver incompetence. 4) Deliberation, based on malice or depression. Causes were not seen as single. Rather, many causes-all important-were present and producing effects at the same time. In some cases a cause could be described as a trigger, to set the collision course going. The following are the more important ones in descending order: 1) Vehicle failure. 2) Environmental failure. 3) Driver incompetence. 4) Deliberate intent.

The main conclusion reached is that the understanding of the traffic death case has been drastically revised, and requires, for the future, marked changes in investigations of the cases. Several recommendations have been made concerning periodic inspection and vehicle fitness, vehicle design changes, highway design changes, attention to mental health in the cases, and improved investigations.