RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Burden and factors associated with highway work-zone crashes, on a section of the Karachi–Hala Road, Pakistan
JF Injury Prevention
JO Inj Prev
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 79
OP 83
DO 10.1136/ip.2010.027532
VO 17
IS 2
A1 Junaid Ahmad Bhatti
A1 Junaid Abdul Razzak
A1 Emmanuel Lagarde
A1 L Rachid Salmi
YR 2011
UL http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/17/2/79.abstract
AB Objective To assess the burden and factors associated with highway work-zone (HWZ) crashes.Design Historical cohort.Setting Section of the Karachi–Hala Road, Pakistan (196 km).Data Police-reported crashes and traffic statistics from January 2006 to December 2008.Analysis Crash and death risk between the HWZ and other zones for a 50 km section were compared. Crash locations were described for a further 146 km section on which factors associated with HWZ crashes were assessed.Results HWZ crashes accounted for 15.0% of traffic crashes (N=180) and 30.8% of road fatalities (N=91) on the 196 km section. Rates were higher in the HWZ than other zones for crashes (rate ratio (RR)=2.35, 95% CI=1.17 to 4.70) and deaths (RR=4.70, 95% CI=2.11 to 10.46). Opposite-direction crashes (adjusted OR (aOR)=10.65, 95% CI=3.22 to 35.25) and traffic crashes involving pedestrians (aOR=6.03, 95% CI=1.39 to 26.20) and on wet surfaces (aOR=7.26, 95% CI=4.15 to 48.89) were significantly associated with the HWZ.Conclusion These results support the introduction of prevention measures such as strict traffic enforcement, traffic separation, improving pedestrian visibility, and hazard signage at HWZs in Pakistan. The feasibility and effectiveness of these measures remains to be evaluated.