Fatal motor vehicle crashes across the age span: Driving history, moving violations, alcohol and seatbelt use

Introduction: Motor vehicle traffic death is a significant cause of mortality across the age span. Additional understanding of driver behavior associated with fatal crashes could be useful in designing intervention programs. Methods: Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data from 2007-2009 was used to analyze fatal crashes involving four-wheeled passenger vehicles for which complete, non-imputed data were available (n=30,194). The relationship between presence of any driver alcohol (blood alcohol concentration 0.01 g/dL or greater) (BAC) and three categories of moving violations were examined: speeding, lane/wrong side/passing, and total moving violations. Logistic regression was used to obtain adjusted odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Moving violations were present in 70.2% of drivers, with 42.3% having alcohol detected. Compared to those who were BAC negative, presence of alcohol was associated with speeding (OR: 2.15, 95% CI 2.02, 2.28), lane/wrong side/passing violations (OR: 1.50, 95% CI 1.43, 1.57), and total moving violation (OR 2.00, 95% CI 1.90, 2.11), after adjusting for covariates. Drivers with a history in the last 3 years of a speeding, nonspeeding-related moving, or non-moving violation had higher moving violations at fatal crash. Seat belt use was very low (44.0%) with lower belt use in BAC positive drivers (27.1% vs. 56.3%, p<0.0001) and drivers with moving violations at fatal crash (40.7% vs. 51.5%, p<0.0001). Conclusion: This study identifies several areas, including dismally low seat belt use, where targeted prevention and enforcement strategies may help decrease mortality associated with driver moving violations.