Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the cost effectiveness of a 4.5 year education campaign that promoted farmers’ adoption of rollover protective structures (ROPS) to prevent tractor overturn injuries.

Design: Randomized controlled trial, decision analysis, and cost effectiveness analysis.

Setting: One treatment county and one control county in the State of Kentucky.

Intervention: A campaign by a local tractor and equipment dealership to encourage farmers to purchase and install ROPS and seatbelt retrofit kits for older tractors.

Main outcome measures: Number of injuries averted and cost per injury averted.

Results: The dealership’s 4.5 year intervention was shown to potentially reduce both fatal (0.26) and non-fatal (1.50) injuries by 2.6% in its county over the intervention period using a 20 year analytic horizon. When extrapolated statewide, 6.7 lives would be saved and 39 non-fatal injuries would be averted over the combined 24.5 year combined intervention period and analytic horizon. The intervention for this period was cost effective with a “savings” of $35 713 per injury (fatal plus non-fatal) averted at a 4% discount rate.

Conclusions: Tractor manufacturer promotions can influence their dealerships to promote ROPS retrofits by their customers. A manufacturer backed dealer ROPS retrofit campaign was cost effective in reducing overturn related injuries.