Transcript Presentation 3: A statistical challenge

Medril Workshop
Brussels, 25 November 2005
Impact of medical conditions on road safety
Joël Valmain
DG TREN, E3
Directorate general for Energy and Transport
Information and communication
The European Road Safety
Action Programme (2003-2010)
HALVING THE NUMBER
OF VICTIMS BY 2010
A SHARED
RESPONSIBILITY
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Evolution 1990-2010
Evolution 1990 - 2010
EU fatalities
80000
2010 objectif : - 50%
70.700
EU fatalities
70.300
70000
66.500
61.300
59.600
59.000
60000
55.500
56.400
55.200
54.100
52.200
50.400
49.800
50000
46.800
50.000
42.900
46.300
42.900
40000
39.700
36.700
34.000
30000
31.500
29.200
27.000
25.000
20000
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Source: CARE (EU road accidents database)
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Medical impairments
and statistics

Almost no concrete figures collected

Mainly estimated figures available, in
comparison with different figures
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Example: Alcohol
and drugs

Alcohol : before 2010 decrease the number of alcoholrelated road accidents. Nearly 1 accident in 4 still can be
attributed to excessive alcohol consumption

Drug : Prevalence of drug and medicine consumption in
accidents can reach 15% ; number of accidents
attributed to drug and medicines consumption continues
to increase

Reduction of the number of accidents under the
influence of alcohol and psychoactive substances is
therefore imperative

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« Saturday night fever »
PEOPLE AGED 18-25 KILLED IN ROAD ACCIDENTS, FOR EACH HOUR AND DAY OF THE WEEK
EU 15 (2002)
200
150
100
50
0
Lundi
Mardi
Mercredi
Jeudi
Vendredi
Samedi
Dimanche
Source: CARE (EU road accidents data base
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Other example:
elderly drivers


Statistics:

For those who are 70 years old or more, the death rate is higher
for pedestrians than for car drivers, 40% versus 12% (CARE)

But the curve of drivers killed on the road is strongly increasing
as of the age of 70
Reasons:


Medical impairments ? Consumption of medicines ?
Legislation, mainly medical check

Different from one MS to another: medical check at the age of 70
years (IE, DK, NL, FI, UK), 65 years (EL, PT), 50 years (LU)
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Conclusion

These examples show that there is a lack of
knowledge about the impact of medical
conditions on road safety

An improvement in data collection would be a
step forward

Some studies on relative risk do exist

Indeed figures are needed to define policies
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Websites

Commission transport website
http://europa.eu.int/comm/transport/index_en.html

Road transport section
http://europa.eu.int/comm/transport/road/index_en.htm

CARE database
http://europa.eu.int/comm/transport/home/care/index_en.
htm

Driving licences
http://europa.eu.int/comm/transport/home/drivinglicence/
index_en.htm
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