Relative risk of spinal cord injury in road crashes involving seriously injured occupants of light passenger vehicles

Abstract

Road crashes involving occupants of light passenger vehicles are the leading cause of traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Confirming the results of an earlier study, this study showed that: in single vehicle car crashes in the country, the odds of SCI were nearly five times higher (4.7) for occupants of non-sedan type light passenger vehicles compared with sedans; in single vehicle rollover crashes in the country, the odds of SCI were nearly three times higher (2.8) in non-sedans compared with sedans; the odds of SCI were nearly five times higher (4.8) for sports utility vehicles (SUVs) compared with sedans. When the data from the earlier study was included in order to increase statistical power, it was found that when compared to sedans that did not roll, occupants of all types of light passenger vehicles had a statistically significant substantially higher likelihood of SCI when involved in rollover (sedans 7.5 times, SUVs 5.9 times and others 8.4 times). In addition, SUVs had a higher likelihood of SCI even when not involved in rollover (5.4 times). Vehicle designers and regulators need to give more attention to the prevention of vehicle rollover and the means to improve occupant protection in the event of rollover. This study should be extended nationally to gain a larger case series so that the SCI risk of particular vehicle configurations, considering other crash factors, can be more precisely quantified and characteristics for low occurrence of SCI identified.