Road crash involvement and professional status: A prospective study using the French Gazel cohort

Abstract

ObjectivesTo assess the influence of professional status differences on the risk of road crash involvement-RCI-(irrespective of crash severity) and to examine the underlying mechanisms by evaluating the role of users' exposure to road risk (ERR) in these differences. MethodsA total of 15 237 current and retired staff selected from the French GAZEL cohort were studied. A proportional hazard model for recurrent events was used to calculate the relative risks of RCI associated with professional status. The associations between RCI and professional status were investigated by adjusting for ERR (kilometres travelled and risk behaviour on the road).

Inter-group differences in road-traffic crash involvement

“…In most cases, the effect of social position on road crashes -and this seems relevant to other variables, as well -was examined by an aggregative calculation of casualty or injury rates: total casualties or injuries among a specific class divided by the total population or sum of kilometers traveled by the same class (Lenguerrand et al, 2008); and the variables were not necessarily measured at the individual level. As one important scholar recently suggested, it seems that "in order to properly explore the effects of social position on the road safety of adult road users, information gathered among the whole road population is preferable" (Lenguerrand et al, 2008: 9).…”

Impact of retirement on risky driving behavior and attitudes towards road safety among a large cohort of French drivers (the GAZEL cohort)

“…Although driving exposure is undoubtedly related to work-related fatalities on the road, other work-related factors may increase the risk of road traffic accidents, among both professional and nonprofessional drivers (12). Work pressure, responsibilities, and work constraints are likely to affect a person's ability to drive during and outside workhours (3).…”

The French GAZEL Cohort Study: 20 years of epidemiologic research

“…Other analyses studied workrelated traffic accidents and showed the role of fatigue at work . another finding was that when cohort members retired, their behavior changed and they drove more safely (Bhatti et al, 2008) and that people in the highest social categories had a higher risk of accident than the other categories (Lenguerrand et al, 2008).…”

“…Other analyses studied workrelated traffic accidents and showed the role of fatigue at work . another finding was that when cohort members retired, their behavior changed and they drove more safely (Bhatti et al, 2008) and that people in the highest social categories had a higher risk of accident than the other categories (Lenguerrand et al, 2008).In 2002, France introduced a radical change in its road safety policy. This made it possible to observe changes in driving behavior and show that the cohort members changed their attitudes about road safety and reduced their speed, although drinking-associated driving behavior changed only a little (Nabi et al, 2007; Constant et al, 2007 Constant et al, , 2009).…”