Injuries to 15-19-Year olds in road traffic crashes: A cross sectional analysis of police crash data

Aim: To describe the circumstances in which 15-19-year-old vehicle occupants are injured in road traffic crashes, compared with older casualties. Subjects and methods: Regression analysis of UK STATS19 police road traffic casualty data from 2008-2010. Odds ratios used to compare circumstances between 15 to 19 and 25 to 59-year-old passenger and driver casualty groups. Results: Amongst 15-19-year olds, there were 27,552 car passenger casualties and 28,322 car driver casualties. 15-19-year olds were at greatest risk of being injured as passengers when being driven by a 17-19-year old (adjusted OR 25.4, 95%CI 23.95-26.91) or between 9 pm and 5.59 am (adjusted OR 1.9, 95%CI 1.83-2.01). Motorway driving was associated with a significantly reduced risk (adjusted OR 0.55, 95%CI 0.49-0.61). For driver casualties, 15-19 year olds were at greatest risk when carrying a 15-19-year-old passenger (adjusted OR 12.1, 95%CI 11.55-12.70) and between 9 pm and 5.59 am (adjusted OR 2.3, 9%CI 2.22-2.39). Motorway travel again saw a significantly reduced risk (adjusted OR 0.37, 95%CI 0.34-0.41). Conclusion: The main risk factors for road traffic injury to 15-19-year olds are travelling with occupants of a similar age or between 9 pm and 5.59 am. Other countries have implemented an intervention, graduated driver licensing (GDL), to tackle precisely these risk factors. The UK Government needs to review the case for GDL as a matter of urgency. © Springer-Verlag 2014.