Traffic injury minimization for truck and bus drivers

Carlsson, J.; Jarl, T.; Thorson, J.

Affiliations

¹National Board of Occupational Health and Safety, S-171 84 Solna, Sweden

²Department of Environmental Hygiene, University of Umeå, S-901 87 Umeå, Sweden

³The Swedish Foundation of Occupational Health and Safety for State Employees ("Statshälsan"), Västra Esplanaden 19 B, S-902 48 Umeå, Sweden

Abstract

Occupational injuries to Swedes are registered with the Swedish Board of Occupational Health and Safety when the injured is sick-listed. Sixty per cent of 227 fatal occupational injuries including injuries en route to or from work in Sweden in 1980 were caused by traffic violence. According to an analysis of fatally and non-fatally injured truck and bus drivers, their traffic injuries were caused by the following circumstances:

Truck drivers were seriously injured in frontal collisions, in part because deformation zones are lacking on vehicles without hoods.
Safety belts were not used, and injuries resulted from rollovers and fling-outs or contacts with the steering-wheel, dash-board or cabin roof.
Overturning of vehicles preceded the injuries in 28 cases or 18% of a sample of 156 truck drivers occupationally injured in the traffic.
Ejection of truck drivers occurred in six cases or 4% of the same sample.
Unpadded spokes of steering wheels caused injuries when the wheel was forced to rotate by uneven structures in the ground.
Lack of head-rests or insufficient ones contributed to head and neck injuries by rear impacts.

Cited Works (1)

Year	Entry
1983	Michie JD, Bronstad ME. Trucks and buses: roadside safety considerations. In: 27th Annual Proceedings, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine (AAAM). October 3-6, 1983; San Antonio, TX.375-388.

Cited By (2)

Year	Entry
1987	Jarl T, Thorson J, Ostman A, Stenlund H, Svensson L. Occupational traffic injuries to truck occupants. In: 31st Annual Proceedings, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine (AAAM). September 28-30, 1987; New Orleans, LA.201-213.
1988	Löfling T, Svensson L, Thorson J. "Greenhouse" impacts: windshields, a-pillars and roofs of passenger cars in simulated car-moose collisions. In: 32nd Annual Proceedings, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine (AAAM). September 12-14, 1988; Seattle, WA.25-38.