Factors related to severe single-vehicle tree crashes: In-depth crash study

PLoS One. 2022 Jan 28;17(1):e0248171. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248171. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Vehicle-tree collisions are the most common type of road crash with fixed obstacle in Czech Republic. Based on the literature review and using real world in-depth crash data, this paper aims to define factors, which significantly influence the injury severity of single vehicle-tree crashes. In-depth data provide a comprehensive view to the failure on the system infrastructure-human-vehicle related to crash, the in-depth crash database include very detailed information related to infrastructure, vehicle, human failure and crash participants characteristics and their medical condition and also crash reconstruction. Multinomial logistic regression and generalized linear mixed model were used to determine the individual effect of each predictor. The statistically significant variables were the day period, trunk diameter and impact speed. Using multinomial logistic regression shows also vehicle age as statistically significant. Obtained results can help to efficiently direct countermeasures not only on the road infrastructure-e.g. speed reduction in selected locations with specified tree character. However, the emphasis should be also focused on driver behaviour.

MeSH terms

  • Accidents, Traffic*
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Czech Republic
  • Databases, Factual
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Linear Models
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Risk Factors
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Trees
  • Wounds and Injuries / etiology
  • Wounds and Injuries / pathology
  • Young Adult

Grants and funding

This article was produced with the financial support of the Ministry of Transport within the programme of long-term conceptual development of research institutions on the research infrastructure acquired from the Operation Programme Research and Development for Innovations (CZ.1.05/2.1.00/03.0064).