AN EPIDEMIOLOGIC-STUDY OF ROADWAY FATALITIES RELATED TO FARM VEHICLES- UNITED-STATES, 1988 TO 1993

Compared with the estimated injury fatality rate for workers in all oc cupations (nine in 100,000 in 1988) the farm fatality rate (48 in 100, 000) was among the highest in the nation; in 1993 these rates were eig ht and 35 in 100, 000, respectively. On-road farm-vehicle fatalities h ave been identified as a significant problem, yet these events apparen tly have not been investigated in a comprehensive manner. The purpose of this study was to investigate the circumstances su mounding all on- road, non-truck, farm-vehicle crash fatalities in the United States fr om 1988 through 1993. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administrati on's Fatal Accident Reporting System, which includes data for all US f atal on-road motor vehicle crashes, was the source of data. Driver-rel ated variables were compared among farm vehicles, vehicles in collisio ns with farm vehicles, and all other vehicles in rural, fatal crashes; environ mental variables were compared between rural farm-vehicle and non-farm-vehicle crashes. During 1988 to 1993, in rural areas, 444 fa rm-vehicle occupants were killed; in addition, 238 occupants of other vehicles or pedestrians were killed in collisions with the farm vehicl es. The farm vehicles were disproportionately involved in overturns, r eal-end collisions, and incidents in which the injured personal fell f rom the vehicle, when compared with all other non-farm vehicles involv ed in rural-area fatal crashes. Of the farm vehicles involved in fatal crashes at night, dawn, or dusk, 65% were struck in the rear, compare d with 4% of vehicles involved in fatal non-farm-vehicle crashes. Comp ared with drivers in all other rural crashes, farm-vehicle operators w ere more likely to be male, have a greater proportion of convictions f or driving while intoxicated, and a lower proportion of previous speed ing convictions. From this initial investigation, it appears that the fatal-crash involvement of farm vehicles are related to vehicle and en vironmental factors that are changeable. Given the proportion of overt urns associated with farm-vehicle crashes (21%) compared with non-farm vehicles (9%), there is a need to investigate design characteristics of the farm vehicles. The large proportion of farm vehicles structured in the rear during daylight (24%) as well as night, dawn, or dusk hou rs (64%), compared with non-farm vehicles (4% and 4%, respectively), s uggest factors related to visibility and perception of the fat-in vehi cles' speed that provide a basis for further study.