Fatal road transport crashes among Australian residential aged care facility residents.
OBJECTIVE
To examine fatal road transport crashes of residential aged care facility (RACF) residents to determine crash characteristics and risk factors.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study of a retrospective national cohort of RACF resident deaths notified to Australian coroners.


INCLUSION CRITERIA
death occurred between 1 July 2000 and 30 June 2013; mechanism classified as 'transport injury event'; and completed coronial investigation. Descriptive statistical analyses were conducted on crash characteristics and risk factors.


RESULTS
Thirty-eight deaths met the inclusion criteria. Median age of deceased RACF residents was 84 years, and gender was equally distributed. Men were most frequently pedestrians (n = 14, 37%), and women were most frequently motor vehicle passengers (n = 14, 37%). Road user factors contributed to two-thirds of crashes (n = 25, 66%), with 'failure to yield' (n = 17, 45%) most frequent.


CONCLUSION
Reducing fatal crashes of RACF residents requires effective road safety strategies and public awareness of risks for this increasing and vulnerable population.
['Lee|Hui-Ching|HC|http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9646-3939', 'Johnson|Marilyn|M|', 'Bugeja|Lyndal|L|http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0547-710X', 'Koppel|Sjaan|S|', 'Chong|Derek|D|', 'Ibrahim|Joseph E|JE|']
D000063:Accidents, Traffic D000368:Aged D000369:Aged, 80 and over D001315:Australia D001334:Automobile Driving D002423:Cause of Death D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies D005260:Female D006707:Homes for the Aged D006801:Humans D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D000069636:Pedestrians D012189:Retrospective Studies D018570:Risk Assessment D012307:Risk Factors D013997:Time Factors
transport crash death nursing home