著者

Masao Ichikawa Haruhiko Inada Kota Katanoda Shinji Nakahara

出版者

Japan Epidemiological Association

雑誌

Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)

巻号頁・発行日

pp.JE20220054, (Released:2022-08-13)

参考文献数

16

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Background: Since 2011, commercial truck drivers have been required to take alcohol breath tests at the beginning and end of their working hours due to their employers’ legal obligations. However, non-commercial truck drivers are not required to do so. We examined whether alcohol-related crashes had decreased after 2011 among commercial truck drivers.Methods: Using police data, we conducted a joinpoint regression analysis to examine the trend in the proportion of alcohol-related crashes from 1995 to 2020 caused by commercial truck drivers (who were subjected to alcohol breath testing) and non-commercial truck drivers (who were not subjected to testing). The annual percentage change in this trend was also estimated.Results: During the 26-year study period, truck drivers caused 1,846,321 at-fault crashes, and 0.4% of the crashes involved intoxicated driving. A significant decreasing trend in the proportion of alcohol-related crashes was identified among both commercial and non-commercial truck drivers in the 2000s, during which several legal amendments were made against drunk driving. The annual percentage change was –13.5% from 2001 to 2012 among commercial truck drivers, and –14.9% from 2001 to 2011 among non-commercial truck drivers. No decreasing trend was observed afterwards, despite the introduction of mandatory alcohol breath testing in 2011.Conclusions: The effect of mandatory alcohol breath testing on reducing alcohol-related crashes among commercial truck drivers was not evident.

著者

Masao Ichikawa Haruhiko Inada Shinji Nakahara

出版者

Japan Epidemiological Association

雑誌

Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)

巻号頁・発行日

pp.JE20230217, (Released:2023-10-07)

参考文献数

31

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Background: In Japan, older drivers have been encouraged to surrender their driving licenses for traffic safety despite the potential adverse social and health outcomes of driving cessation. We reconsidered such policies and social pressure by comparing the risk of at-fault motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) across the age groups of drivers.Methods: Using the national data of police-reported MVCs that occurred between 2016 and 2020, we examined the number of at-fault MVCs per licensed driver (MVC rate) and the number of fatally and non-fatally injured persons per at-fault MVC by the sex and age groups of at-fault drivers.Results: The MVC rate of older drivers was higher than that of middle-aged drivers but lower than that of young drivers. The number of injured persons among the collided counterparts (collided car occupants, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians) per MVC caused by older drivers was not greater than that by drivers in other age groups. In fatal MVCs caused by older drivers, drivers themselves or their passengers tend to be killed rather than their collided counterparts. Overall, the results were mostly consistent between male and female drivers.Conclusions: The risk of at-fault MVCs increased with the advancing age of drivers after middle age; however, this risk among older drivers did not exceed that among young drivers, without posing a high risk of injuries to their collided counterparts.

著者

Haruhiko Inada Jun Tomio Masao Ichikawa Shinji Nakahara

出版者

Japan Epidemiological Association

雑誌

Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)

巻号頁・発行日

pp.JE20200504, (Released:2021-02-13)

参考文献数

40

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Background: Modal shifts in transport may reduce overall road injuries. Cyclist junior high school students are at a high risk of road injuries while commuting in Japan, and injuries among junior high school students could be reduced if the cyclists switch to other transport modes.Methods: We estimated the change in the incidence of road deaths and serious injuries while commuting in months with heavy snowfall, when cyclists are likely to switch to other transport modes. Using police data on the monthly number of road injuries while commuting among junior high school students in Japan between 2004 and 2013 and corresponding population statistics and snowfall data, we calculated the monthly injury rate (number of deaths and serious injuries divided by population) at the prefecture level. We conducted Poisson regression analysis to estimate the change in the rate in months with a snowfall of ≥100 cm, compared to months without snowfall.Results: A total of 3164 deaths and serious injuries occurred during 2004 to 2013. The injury rate among cyclists was almost zero in months with a snowfall of ≥100 cm. That among cyclists and pedestrians in these months was reduced by 68% (95% confidence interval, 43-82%).Conclusions: In months with heavy snowfall, road injuries while commuting were reduced due to the near-elimination of cycling injuries among junior high school students in Japan. Switching from cycling to other transport modes would reduce overall road injuries among this population, and inducing modal shifts can be an important tool for road safety.

著者

Haruhiko Inada Jun Tomio Masao Ichikawa Shinji Nakahara

出版者

Japan Epidemiological Association

雑誌

Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.32, no.9, pp.408-414, 2022-09-05 (Released:2022-09-05)

参考文献数

40

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Background: Modal shifts in transport may reduce overall road injuries. Cyclist junior high school students are at a high risk of road injuries while commuting in Japan, and injuries among junior high school students could be reduced if the cyclists switch to other transport modes.Methods: We estimated the change in the incidence of road deaths and serious injuries while commuting in months with heavy snowfall, when cyclists are likely to switch to other transport modes. Using police data on the monthly number of road injuries while commuting among junior high school students in Japan between 2004 and 2013 and corresponding population statistics and snowfall data, we calculated the monthly injury rate (number of deaths and serious injuries divided by population) at the prefecture level. We conducted Poisson regression analysis to estimate the change in the rate in months with a snowfall of ≥100 cm, compared to months without snowfall.Results: A total of 3,164 deaths and serious injuries occurred during 2004 to 2013. The injury rate among cyclists was almost zero in months with a snowfall of ≥100 cm. That among cyclists and pedestrians in these months was reduced by 68% (95% confidence interval, 43–82%).Conclusion: In months with heavy snowfall, road injuries while commuting were reduced due to the near-elimination of cycling injuries among junior high school students in Japan. Switching from cycling to other transport modes would reduce overall road injuries among this population, and inducing modal shifts can be an important tool for road safety.

著者

Shinji Nakahara Masao Ichikawa

出版者

Japan Epidemiological Association

雑誌

Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.23, no.1, pp.70-73, 2013-01-05 (Released:2013-01-05)

参考文献数

18

被引用文献数

37 50

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Introduction: On 11 March 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake caused a huge tsunami that struck Northeast Japan, resulting in nearly 20 000 deaths. We investigated mortality patterns by age, sex, and region in the 3 most severely affected prefectures.Methods: Using police data on earthquake victims in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures, mortality rates by sex, age group, and region were calculated, and regional variability in mortality rates across age groups was compared using rate ratios (RRs), with the rates in Iwate as the reference.Results: In all regions, age-specific mortality showed a tendency to increase with age; there were no sex differences. Among residents of Iwate, mortality was markedly lower among school-aged children as compared with other age groups. In northern Miyagi and the southern part of the study area, RRs were higher among school-aged children than among other age groups.Conclusions: The present study could not address the reasons for the observed mortality patterns and regional differences. To improve preparedness policies, future research should investigate the reasons for regional differences.