Brubacher JR, Chan H, Brasher P, Erdelyi S, Desapriya E, Asbridge M, Purssell R, Macdonald S, Schuurman N, Pike I. Reduction in fatalities, ambulance calls, and hospital admissions for road trauma after implementation of new traffic laws.
Am J Public Health 2014;
104:e89-97. [PMID:
25121822 DOI:
10.2105/ajph.2014.302068]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
We evaluated the public health benefits of traffic laws targeting speeding and drunk drivers (British Columbia, Canada, September 2010).
METHODS
We studied fatal crashes and ambulance dispatches and hospital admissions for road trauma, using interrupted time series with multiple nonequivalent comparison series. We determined estimates of effect using linear regression models incorporating an autoregressive integrated moving average error term. We used neighboring jurisdictions (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Washington State) as external controls.
RESULTS
In the 2 years after implementation of the new laws, significant decreases occurred in fatal crashes (21.0%; 95% confidence interval [CI]=15.3, 26.4) and in hospital admissions (8.0%; 95% CI=0.6, 14.9) and ambulance calls (7.2%; 95% CI=1.1, 13.0) for road trauma. We found a very large reduction in alcohol-related fatal crashes (52.0%; 95% CI=34.5, 69.5), and the benefits of the new laws are likely primarily the result of a reduction in drinking and driving.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that laws calling for immediate sanctions for dangerous drivers can reduce road trauma and should be supported.
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