Tractor incidents on Swedish road

• Introduction Compared with other industries, agriculture is the most dangerous branch in Sweden. In 2004, at least one injury occurred on 8% of Swedish farms that resulted in body impairments and constituted obstacle at work. Beside the injuries that occured on the farms farmers also are involved in incidents with tractors and other slow-moving vehicles (SMVs) on the roads outside the farms. Objectives The objective of this study is to reach a better understanding of incidents and injuries on Swedish roads involving tractors and to suggest ways of preventing them. Methods Together with Statistics Sweden we sorted out information on police-reported incidents involving tractors from 1992 to 2009. The data material included information on the type of incident, severity of injury, type of road user, vehicle data, road conditions, and type of road, weather conditions, and many other aspects of the accidents. Only fatal injuries and injuries that led to physical harm were selected. Results In an earlier study we analyzed incidents resulting in fatal and non-fatal injuries from 1992 to 2005. During each year of this period, tractors were involved in 128 traffic incidents with an average of 7 people were killed, 44 sustained serious injuries, and 143 sustained minor injuries. The number of fatalities in these tractor incidents was about 1.3% of all deaths in road incidents in Sweden. Cars were most often involved in the tractor incidents (58%) and 15% were single vehicle incidents. The mean age of the tractor driver involved was 39.8 years and young drivers (15-24 years) were overrepresented (30%). We are now increasing the data set with the years 2006-2009 in order to study the changes in the number of incidents. Special attention will be given to the younger drivers and to single vehicle road incidents. Based on the results are we developing suggestions for reducing road incidents and injuries, e.g. including measures for making farm vehicles more visible and improvement of the training provided at driving school and information campaigns directed at drivers of tractors and other farm vehicles and other road users.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

LANTBRUKSVETENSKAPER  -- Lantbruksvetenskap, skogsbruk och fiske -- Jordbruksvetenskap (hsv//swe)

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES  -- Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries -- Agricultural Science (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Hälso- och sjukvårdsorganisation, hälsopolitik och hälsoekonomi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Health Care Service and Management, Health Policy and Services and Health Economy (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Arbetsmedicin och miljömedicin (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Occupational Health and Environmental Health (hsv//eng)

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