Factors associated with motorcycle traffic crash fatalities among active duty U.S. Army personnel

<b>Objective:</b> Research on factors associated with motorcycle fatalities among active duty U.S. Army personnel is limited. This analysis describes motorcycle crash–related injuries from 1995 through 2014 and assesses the effect of alcohol use and helmet use on the risk of fatal injury among active duty U.S. Army motorcycle operators involved in a traffic crash, controlling for other factors shown to be potentially associated with fatality in this population. <b>Methods:</b> Demographics, crash information, and injury data were obtained from safety reports maintained in the Army Safety Management Information System. Traffic crashes were defined as crashes occurring on a paved public or private roadway or parking area, including those on a U.S. Army installation. Analysis was limited to motorcycle operators. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) from a multivariable analysis estimated the effect of alcohol use and helmet use on the risk of a fatal injury given a crash occurred, controlling for operator and crash characteristics. <b>Results:</b> Of the 2,852 motorcycle traffic crashes, most involved men (97%), operators aged 20–29 years of age (60%), and operators who wore helmets (95%) and did not use alcohol (92%). Two thirds of reported crashes resulted in injuries requiring a lost workday; 17% resulted in fatality. Controlling for operator and crash characteristics, motorcycle traffic crashes involving operators who had used alcohol had a 3.1 times higher odds of fatality than those who did not use alcohol (OR =3.14; 95% CI, 2.17–4.53). Operators who did not wear a helmet had 1.9 times higher odds of fatality than those who did wear a helmet (OR =1.89; 95% CI, 1.24–2.89). <b>Conclusions:</b> Among U.S. Army motorcycle operators, alcohol use and not wearing a helmet increased the odds of fatality, given that a crash occurred, and additional modifiable risk factors were identified. Results will help inform U.S. Army motorcycle policies and training.

**研究目标：** 目前针对美国陆军现役人员摩托车死亡事故相关影响因素的研究较为匮乏。本研究梳理了1995年至2014年间摩托车碰撞相关损伤情况，并针对涉及交通事故的美国陆军现役摩托车驾驶员，评估了饮酒与头盔佩戴情况对致命损伤风险的影响，同时控制了该人群中已被证实与死亡风险存在潜在关联的其他因素。
**研究方法：** 本研究的人口统计学信息、碰撞相关数据及损伤数据均提取自美国陆军安全管理信息系统（Army Safety Management Information System）所留存的安全报告。本研究将交通事故定义为发生在铺装公共或私人道路、停车区域（含美国陆军军事设施内区域）的碰撞事件，分析对象仅限定为摩托车驾驶员。本研究通过多变量分析计算比值比（OR）与95%置信区间（95% CI），在控制驾驶员及碰撞特征的前提下，评估碰撞发生后饮酒与头盔佩戴情况对致命损伤风险的影响。
**研究结果：** 本次纳入分析的2852起摩托车交通事故中，大部分涉事驾驶员为男性（97%）、年龄介于20~29岁之间（60%），且佩戴了头盔（95%）且未饮酒（92%）。三分之二的上报碰撞事件导致了需要误工的损伤，17%的事件造成人员死亡。在控制驾驶员与碰撞特征的前提下，涉事驾驶员饮酒的摩托车交通事故的死亡风险较未饮酒者高3.1倍（比值比=3.14；95%置信区间：2.17~4.53）；未佩戴头盔的驾驶员的死亡风险较佩戴头盔者高1.9倍（比值比=1.89；95%置信区间：1.24~2.89）。
**研究结论：** 针对美国陆军摩托车驾驶员而言，在发生碰撞的前提下，饮酒与未佩戴头盔会提升死亡风险，本研究同时识别出了其他可干预的风险因素。本研究结果可为美国陆军摩托车相关政策制定与训练方案优化提供参考依据。