Paul Boase

Trends in alcohol-impaired driving in Canada

While a general decreasing trend in the number of persons killed in a traffic crash involving a drinking driver has occurred in Canada since the 1980s, it is evident that much of this decrease occurred in the 1990s. Since 2002, less progress has been made as the number of persons killed in crashes involving drinking drivers remains high. To better understand the current situation, this paper describes trends in drinking and driving in Canada from 1998 to 2011 using multiple indicators based on data collected for the Traffic Injury Research Foundations (TIRF) Road Safety Monitor (RSM), the National Opinion Poll on Drinking and Driving, and trends in alcohol-related crashes based on data collected for TIRFs national Fatality Database in Canada. There has been a continued and consistent decrease in the number of fatalities involving a drinking driver in Canada. This remains true when looking at the number of fatalities involving a drinking driver per 100,000 population and per 100,000 licensed drivers. This decreasing trend is also still apparent when considering the percentage of persons killed in a traffic crash in Canada involving a drinking driver although less pronounced. Data from the RSM further show that the percentage of those who reported driving after they thought they were over the legal limit has also declined. However, regardless of the apparent decreasing trend in drinking driving fatalities and behaviour, reductions have been relatively modest, and fatalities in crashes involving drivers who have consumed alcohol remain high at unacceptable levels.

Are we there yet? Canada's progress towards achieving road safety vision 2010 for children travelling in vehicles

This study examines safety seat use among Canadian children and evaluates child safety seat use relative to the national policy for child occupant safety, Road Safety Vision 2010. Using a probability sample, roadside observations of car safety seat use were collected from May to October of 2006 for 13,500 children aged from birth to 9 years in 10,084 vehicles at 182 sites in nine Canadian provinces and one territory. Observations revealed that 89.9% of Canadian children were restrained in some type of restraint. However, only 60.5% of these children were restrained in the correct safety seat. When comparing rates of correct use across provinces, results were not significantly different in provinces with booster seat legislation and those without this legislation. This data may be useful for healthcare practitioners and policy makers to develop interventions aimed at increasing appropriate car safety seat use for children in Canada.

A comparison of booster seat use in Canadian provinces with and without legislation

Background: The use of booster seats continues to be low, despite their effectiveness in reducing injury in motor vehicle collisions. Many jurisdictions have introduced legislation requiring the use of booster seats. To date, there have been no Canadian studies evaluating the effectiveness of legislation on booster seat use. Objectives: To describe restraint use among Canadian children aged 4–8 years, and compare booster seat use between provinces/territories with and without legislation. Methods: The data were obtained from a National Survey of Child Restraint Use/Misuse conducted between June and August 2006. A roadside observation survey was conducted at 182 sites across Canada. Weighted statistical analyses of differences in proportions were conducted, accounting for sampling stratification and clustering by car effects. Results: The roadside survey estimated that 24.6% of children aged 4–8 were restrained in booster seats in provinces with legislation, compared with 16.6% in provinces without (p<0.001). Conclusion: This is the first Canadian national study using direct observation to determine the effect of legislation on booster seat use. Provinces with legislation had higher booster seat use, but overall rates were still disappointingly low. Ongoing surveillance of child safety seat use and evaluation of effective adjuncts to legislation is required in order to see collision-related child deaths and injuries drop in the future.

Child Restraint Use in Canadian Provinces With and Without Legislation in 2010

Objectives: When used correctly, child safety seats reduce the risk of injury to a child passenger compared to seat belts. The objectives of this study are to (1) describe restraint use among Canadian children ages 4–8 years in 2010; (2) compare child safety seat use between provinces with new legislation (post-2006), old legislation (pre-2006), and without legislation; and (3) compare child safety seat use rates from 2006 to 2010. Methods: Roadside observational surveys of child restraint use were performed in 2006 and 2010 using a nationally representative stratified sample. Proportions of restraint use, correct use (i.e., child safety seats and booster seats) in 4- to 8-year-old children was examined between 3 groups: provinces with new legislation (i.e., child safety seat legislation that included implementation of specific legislation for booster seat use for child passengers ages 4–8 years), old legislation, and no legislation. Results: There were 4048 children observed as passengers in motor vehicles. In provinces with new legislation, 84 percent (95% confidence interval [CI], 72.2–90.8) of children were restrained compared to 94.9 percent (95% CI, 93.0–96.7) in provinces with old legislation, and 81.8 percent (95% CI, 77.3–86.3) in provinces without legislation. Correct use of child restraint was 54.1 percent (95% CI, 48.0–60.3) in provinces with new legislation, 29.5 percent (95% CI, 25.9–33.2) in provinces with old legislation, and 52.0 percent (43.0–61.0) in provinces without legislation in 2010. Conclusion: The findings from this study suggest that child safety seat legislation has an impact on restraint use in Canada. Despite the increase in rates of child safety seat use in provinces with new legislation and stable rates in provinces with old legislation, use rates remain low. Injury prevention strategies including further surveillance, interventions, and enforcement of restraint use in children are important to decrease motor vehicle related injury and death.

Gender Differences and Demographic influences in Perceived Concern for Driver Safety and Support for Impaired Driving Countermeasures

INTRODUCTION Driving safety, impaired driving, and legislation to address these concerns remain important issues. It is imperative countermeasures be targeted toward the most appropriate groups. This paper explores the potential relationship between gender and driving attitudes toward safety issues and impaired-driving countermeasures. METHOD The data are from the 2007 Impaired Driving Survey commissioned by Transport Canada and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Canada. The survey is a, stratified by region, telephone survey of 1,514 Canadian drivers 18years of age and older with a valid drivers license who had driven within the past 30days. RESULTS The findings illustrate a consistent impact of gender on these issues. Other variables were also identified as relevant factors although less consistently. Current findings suggest that strategies for building support for interventions, or for changing risk perception/concern for risky driving behaviors should be tailored by gender to maximize the potential for behavior change. IMPACT This information may assist program and policy developers through the identification of more or less receptive target groups. Future research directions are also presented.

Methodology of estimating restraint use in children: Roadside observation or parking lot interview survey

OBJECTIVE To compare the differences in Canadian national estimates of correct child restraint use obtained using the standard roadside observation method compared to a detailed parking lot interview. DESIGN A multi-stage stratified survey design was used to conduct roadside observational and interview data collection at 182 randomly selected sites across Canada. For each site, a roadside intersection location and a parking lot location were used for the roadside observational survey and the interview respectively. Weighted estimates of correct restraint use from both locations were compared. RESULTS Estimates of correct restraint use were significantly higher for all children under the age of 9 in the parking lot sample. The largest discrepancy between the two samples was in booster seat aged children (ages 4-8) where 29.1% versus 67.8% of children were observed to be correctly restrained using the roadside and the parking lot methodology respectively. There was a 67% participation refusal rate in the parking lot survey. CONCLUSIONS There are specific advantages and limitations to both survey designs. The purpose of the data collection must be considered when selecting the methodology. Parking lot surveys provide richer data regarding restraint use/misuse. Estimates of correct restraint use must be approached with caution due to the effect of consent bias resulting in over inflation of estimates. Roadside observation is adequate and appropriate for providing national estimates of correct restraint use.

Age group differences in collision risk

INTRODUCTION The purpose of the current study was to examine differences in factors associated with self-reported collision involvement of three age groups of drivers based on a large representative sample of Ontario adults. METHOD This study was based on data from the CAMH Monitor, an ongoing cross-sectional telephone survey of Ontario adults 18 years and older from 2002 to 2005. Three age groups were examined: 18-34 (n=1,294), 35-54 (n=2,428), and 55+ (n=1,576). For each age group sample, a logistic regression analysis was conducted of self-reported collision involvement in the last 12 months by risk factor measures of driving exposure (kilometers driven in a typical week, driving is stressful, and driving on busy roads), consuming five or more drinks of alcohol on one occasion (past 12 months), cannabis use (lifetime, and past 12 months), and driving after drinking among drinkers (past 12 months), controlling for demographics (gender, region, income, and marital status). RESULTS The study identified differences in factors associated with self-reported collision involvement of the three age groups of adult drivers. The logistic regression model for the youngest group revealed that drivers who reported that driving was stressful at least some of the time, drank five or more drinks on an occasion, and drove after drinking had an increased risk of collision involvement. For the middle age group, those who reported using cannabis in the last 12 months had significantly increased odds of reporting collision involvement. None of the risk factor measures showed significant associations with collision risk for older drivers (aged 55+). IMPACT The results suggest potential areas for intervention and new directions for future research.