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DEATH AT THE WHEEL: A CONSIDERATION OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AS A CONTRIBUTORY FACTOR TO ROAD ACCIDENTS
Author(s) -
Hossack D. W.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1974.tb50782.x
Subject(s) - causation , medicine , disease , cause of death , injury prevention , risk factor , poison control , occupational safety and health , medical emergency , forensic engineering , engineering , pathology , political science , law
Chronic disease as a factor in the causation of road accidents has not been the subject of satisfactory study. The following study found that of 102 drivers who died at the wheel of their cars, 11 had died of natural causes. It must be emphasized, however, that five of these drivers were able to stop the car before death, and the other six drivers had accidents of a minor nature not involving injury to others and received only insignificant injuries themselves. The high percentage of chronic disease as a factor in “death at the wheel” in this series may be due to the fairly small number. The fact that all deaths relating to driving in this State are subject to postmortem examination may also be a factor. In no case was alcohol a factor.