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Acute prolapsed lumbar intervertebral disc. An epidemiologic study with special reference to driving automobiles and cigarette smoking.

An epidemiologic case-control study to identify risk factors for acute prolapsed lumbar intervertebral disc was undertaken in Connecticut during 1979-1981. This paper focuses on nonoccupational factors of possible etiologic significance. Persons in their 30s were affected most frequently. Among surgical cases, the ratio of men to women was 1.5 to 1, while among probable and possible cases not undergoing surgery, the male to female ratio was about 1 to 1. Cigarette smoking in the past year was associated with an increased risk for prolapsed disc. The greater the number of hours spent in a motor vehicle, the higher the risk. Use of Swedish and Japanese cars was associated with a lower-than-average risk, while use of other cars was associated with a higher-than-average risk. For each type of car, older cars were associated with higher risks than newer cars. Variables that did not affect the risk for prolapsed lumbar disc in this study included height, weight, number of pregnancies, number of children, frequency of wearing shoes with high heels, smoking cigars or pipes, and participation in baseball or softball, golf, bowling, swimming, diving from a board, tennis, bicycling or jogging.

Acute Disease↗

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of geriatricians regarding patients with dementia who are potentially dangerous automobile drivers: a national survey.

OBJECTIVES: To determine geriatrician knowledge regarding how to prevent a patient with dementia who is a potentially dangerous driver from driving and to determine their willingness to recommend license revocation against the wishes of both the patient and the patient's family. Included is a comparison of responses from geriatricians in California, where related legislation has existed for a decade, with responses from geriatricians from all other US states combined. DESIGN: Survey sample. SETTING: Geriatric practices. PARTICIPANTS: Probability sample of 467 geriatricians. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Survey responses. RESULTS: More than 28% of all geriatricians (95% CI, 24.3%-32.7%) do not know how to report patients with dementia who are potentially dangerous drivers. A 22% difference (95% CI, 13.9%-30.8%) exists between California geriatricians and those in all other US states. More than 75% (95%, CI, 71.5%-79.5%) of all geriatricians agreed that physicians are responsible for reporting patients. More than 86% (95% CI, 83.2%-89.6%) of all geriatricians would contact state authorities despite the objections of the patient, and 72.9% (95% CI, 68.7%-77.1%) would contact authorities despite the objections of the patient's family. CONCLUSIONS: Although most geriatricians will act to protect the public from patients with dementia who are potentially dangerous drivers, many do not know how to report these drivers. Legislation can improve a physician's ability to report patients with dementia who are potentially dangerous drivers.

Accidents, Traffic↗

Effects of vehicle interior geometry and anthropometric variables on automobile driving posture.

The effects of vehicle package, seat, and anthropometric variables on posture were studied in a laboratory vehicle mockup. Participants (68 men and women) selected their preferred driving postures in 18 combinations of seat height, fore-aft steering wheel position, and seat cushion angle. Two seats differing in stiffness and seat back contour were used in testing. Driving postures were recorded using a sonic digitizer to measure the 3D locations of body landmarks. All test variables had significant independent effects on driving posture. Drivers were found to adapt to changes in the vehicle geometry primarily by changes in limb posture, whereas torso posture remained relatively constant. Stature accounts for most of the anthropometrically related variability in driving posture, and gender differences appear to be explained by body size variation. Large intersubject differences in torso posture, which are fairly stable across different seat and package conditions, are not closely related to standard anthropometric measures. The findings can be used to predict the effects of changes in vehicle and seat design on driving postures for populations with a wide range of anthropometric characteristics.

Anthropometry↗

Automobile driver fatalities in frontal impacts: air bags compared with manual belts.

OBJECTIVES: The effectiveness of air bags was estimated in this study by comparing driver fatalities in frontal crashes with driver fatalities in nonfrontal crashes, for cars with air bags and manual belts and cars with manual belts only. METHODS: Fatal Accident Reporting System data for drivers fatally injured during 1985 to 1991 in 1985 to 1991 model year cars that were equipped with air bags in or before model year 1991 were analyzed. RESULTS: Driver fatalities in frontal crashes in air bag cars were 28% lower than those in comparable cars with manual belts only. This percentage was used for estimating the overall fatality reduction in air bag cars. The reduction was greater in large cars (50%) than in midsize cars (19%) or in small cars (14%). Air bags reduced driver fatalities in frontal crashes involving ejection by about 9%. Fatalities in frontal crashes among drivers who were reportedly using manual belts at the time of the crash were reduced by about 15%. The comparable reduction among drivers who were reportedly not using manual belts was 31%. CONCLUSION: It was estimated that air bags reduced the total number of all driver fatalities by about 19%.

Accidents, Traffic↗