COVID-19, lockdowns and motor vehicle collisions: empirical evidence from Greece

Vehicle Collisions ◽

Steep Decline ◽

Level I ◽

Minor Injuries ◽

Econometric Approach ◽

Serious Injuries ◽

Reduced Mobility ◽

Reduced mobility during COVID-19 lockdowns means not only fewer vehicles at risk of collision, but also an opportunity to speed on empty streets. The objective of this paper is to examine the impact of the first wave of the pandemic and the first lockdown on motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) and associated injuries and deaths in Greece. Using monthly data at the regional unit level, I provide descriptive evidence and subsequently follow a difference-in-differences econometric approach, comparing trends in 2020 with those of the previous 5 years while controlling for unemployment and petrol prices. I found a steep decline in collisions, injuries and deaths compared with what would have been otherwise expected. In March and April 2020, there were about 1226 fewer collisions, 72 fewer deaths, 40 fewer serious injuries and 1426 fewer minor injuries compared with what would have been expected in the absence of the pandemic.

Covid-19, Lockdowns and Motor Vehicle Collisions: Empirical Evidence from Greece

10.1101/2020.12.26.20248883 ◽

2021 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sotiris Vandoros

Keyword(s):

Motor Vehicle ◽

Vehicle Collisions ◽

Steep Decline ◽

Level I ◽

Minor Injuries ◽

Econometric Approach ◽

Serious Injuries ◽

Reduced Mobility ◽

AbstractReduced mobility during Covid-19 lockdowns means fewer vehicles at risk of collision, but also an opportunity to speed on empty streets. Other collision risk factors that have changed during the pandemic include alcohol consumption, sleeping patterns, distraction, unemployment and economic uncertainty. Evidence on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on motor vehicle collisions is scarce, as such statistics are often released with a delay. The objective of this paper is to examine the impact of the first wave of the pandemic and the first lockdown on motor vehicle collisions and associated injuries and deaths in Greece. Using monthly data at the regional unit level, I provide descriptive evidence and subsequently follow a difference-in-difference econometric approach, comparing trends in 2020 to those of the previous five years while controlling for unemployment and petrol prices. I found a steep decline in collisions, injuries and deaths compared to what would have been otherwise expected. In March and April 2020, there were about 1,226 fewer collisions, 72 fewer deaths, 40 fewer serious injuries and 1,426 fewer minor injuries compared to what would have been expected in the absence of the pandemic.

Empty Streets, Speeding and Motor Vehicle Collisions during Covid-19 Lockdowns: Evidence from Northern Ireland

10.1101/2021.01.03.21249173 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sotiris Vandoros ◽

Fotis Papailias

Keyword(s):

Northern Ireland ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Motor Vehicle ◽

Spillover Effects ◽

Vehicle Collisions ◽

Monthly Data ◽

Steep Decline ◽

Serious Injuries ◽

AbstractCovid-19 and lockdowns have had spillover effects on other health outcomes. Motor vehicle collisions (MVC) are likely to have been affected by the pandemic due to, among others, less traffic volume and speeding on empty streets. This paper studies the impact of the pandemic on MVCs in Northern Ireland. Using monthly data on injuries and deaths, we find a steep decline in slight and serious injuries compared to what would have been expected in the absence of the pandemic. However, we find no effect on the number of deaths. Based on data from speeding tickets, a plausible explanation for the differential effect on the number of injuries and deaths is speeding on empty streets during the pandemic.

MP9-16 THE IMPACT OF SEAT BELTS AND AIRBAGS ON HIGH GRADE RENAL INJURIES AND NEPHRECTOMY RATES IN MOTOR VEHICLE COLLISIONS

The Journal of Urology ◽

10.1016/j.juro.2014.02.504 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 191 (4S) ◽

Author(s):

Marc Bjurlin ◽

Richard Fantus ◽

Michele Mellett ◽

Richard Fantus ◽

Dana Villines

Keyword(s):

Motor Vehicle ◽

High Grade ◽

Seat Belts ◽

Vehicle Collisions ◽

The Impact ◽

Renal Injuries

The Impact of Psychosocial and Contextual Factors on Individuals Who Sustain Whiplash-Associated Disorders in Motor Vehicle Collisions

Psychological Injury and Law ◽

10.1007/s12207-018-9317-y ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 218-232 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Dennis C. Turk ◽

James P. Robinson ◽

Melanie P. Duckworth

Keyword(s):

Motor Vehicle ◽

Contextual Factors ◽

Vehicle Collisions ◽

Whiplash Associated Disorders ◽

Assessment of Mortality in Older Trauma Patients Sustaining Injuries from Falls or Motor Vehicle Collisions Treated in Regional Level I Trauma Centers

Annals of Surgery ◽

10.1097/sla.0b013e31819a8b4f ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 249 (3) ◽

pp. 488-495 ◽

Cited By ~ 54

Author(s):

John S. Sampalis ◽

Robin Nathanson ◽

Julie Vaillancourt ◽

Andreas Nikolis ◽

Moishe Liberman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Motor Vehicle ◽

Regional Level ◽

Trauma Patients ◽

Trauma Centers ◽

Vehicle Collisions ◽

Level I

Did Amendments to the Ontario Highway Traffic Act in 2009-2010 Affect the Proportion of Alcohol-Related Motor Vehicle Collisions Seen at a Level I Trauma Centre over a 10-year Period?

CJEM ◽

10.1017/cem.2016.343 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 19 (2) ◽

pp. 106-111

Author(s):

Meghan Garnett ◽

Tanya Charyk Stewart ◽

Michael R Miller ◽

Rodrick Lim ◽

Kristine Van Aarsen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Injury Severity ◽

Trauma Registry ◽

Motor Vehicle ◽

Trauma Centre ◽

Trauma Patients ◽

Highway Traffic ◽

Vehicle Collisions ◽

Level I ◽

Legislative Amendments

AbstractObjectivesTo determine if changes to the Ontario Highway Traffic Act (OHTA) in 2009 and 2010 had an effect on the proportion of alcohol-related motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) presenting to a trauma centre over a 10-year period.MethodsA retrospective review of the trauma registry at a Level I trauma centre in southwestern Ontario was undertaken. The trauma registry is a database of all trauma patients with an injury severity score (ISS) ≥12 and/or who had trauma team activation. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Interrupted time series analyses with ARIMA modeling were performed on quarterly data from 2004-2013.ResultsA total of 377 drivers with a detectable serum ethanol concentration (SEC) were treated at our trauma centre over the 10-year period, representing 21% of all MVCs. The majority (330; 88%) were male. The median age was 31 years, median SEC was 35.3 mmol/L, and median ISS was 21. A total of 29 (7.7%) drinking drivers died from their injuries after arriving to hospital. There was no change in the proportion of drinking drivers after the 2009 amendment, but there was a significant decline in the average SEC of drinking drivers after changes to the law. There was no difference in the proportion of drinking drivers ≤21 years after introduction of the 2010 amendment for young and novice drivers.ConclusionsThere was a significance decline in the average SEC of all drinking drivers after the 2009 OHTA amendment, suggesting that legislative amendments may have an impact on drinking before driving behaviour.