Vehicle configurations associated with anatomical-specific severe injuries resulting from traffic collisions.

Vehicles can be classified by configuration as either bonnet-type or cab-over type according to engine location. Compared to bonnet-type, the front compartment of cab-over type vehicles is considerably shorter; thus, it may be less likely to absorb the energy generated in a collision, and in turn be unable to prevent deformation of the occupant space and protect occupants from injury. This study was a cohort study involving 943 occupants of mini-vehicles who were injured in frontal collision accidents between 2001 and 2015 and transferred to Ohta Nishinouchi Hospital. The vehicle configuration was divided into bonnet-type and cab-over type (i.e., truck-type and wagon-type). The tested outcomes were anatomical-specific severe injury of the pelvis and extremities, the head and neck, the abdomen, and the chest. To estimate adjusted odds ratios (AOR) for associations between vehicle configuration and anatomical-specific severe injury, we fitted generalized estimating equations for each outcome. Compared with bonnet-type vehicles, a greater risk of serious pelvis and extremities injury was found for both truck (AOR: 2.21; 95% Confidence Interval [95% CI]: 1.22-4.00) and wagon-type vehicles (AOR: 3.43; 95%CI 1.60-7.39). For serious head and neck injury, truck-type vehicles were associated with greater risk (AOR: 2.04; 95% CI: 1.10-3.79) than bonnet-type vehicles, whereas wagon-type vehicles were not. Compared with the occupants of bonnet-type vehicles, cab-over type vehicle occupants were more likely to have serious pelvis and extremities injury during frontal collisions. Additionally, truck-type vehicle occupants were more likely to have serious head and neck injury than bonnet-type vehicle occupants. These findings are expected to promote safer behaviors for vehicle occupants and the automobile industry.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.