Does Temperature Modify the Effects of Rain and Snow Precipitation on Road Traffic Injuries?

TY - JOUR

T1 - Does Temperature Modify the Effects of Rain and Snow Precipitation on Road Traffic Injuries?

AU - Lee, Won-Kyung

AU - Lee, Hye-Ah

AU - Hwang, Seung-sik

AU - Kim, Ho

AU - Lim, Youn-Hee

AU - Hong, Yun-Chul

AU - Ha, Eun-Hee

AU - Park, Hyesook

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - BACKGROUND: There are few data on the interaction between temperature and snow and rain precipitation, although they could interact in their effects on road traffic injuries.METHODS: The integrated database of the Korea Road Traffic Authority was used to calculate the daily frequency of road traffic injuries in Seoul. Weather data included rain and snow precipitation, temperature, pressure, and fog from May 2007 to December 2011. Precipitation of rain and snow were divided into nine and six temperature range categories, respectively. The interactive effects of temperature and rain and snow precipitation on road traffic injuries were analyzed using a generalized additive model with a Poisson distribution.RESULTS: The risk of road traffic injuries during snow increased when the temperature was below freezing. Road traffic injuries increased by 6.6% when it was snowing and above 0 °C, whereas they increased by 15% when it was snowing and at or below 0 °C. In terms of heavy rain precipitation, moderate temperatures were related to an increased prevalence of injuries. When the temperature was 0-20 °C, we found a 12% increase in road traffic injuries, whereas it increased by 8.5% and 6.8% when it was <0 °C and >20 °C, respectively. The interactive effect was consistent across the traffic accident subtypes.CONCLUSIONS: The effect of adverse weather conditions on road traffic injuries differed depending on the temperature. More road traffic injuries were related to rain precipitation when the temperature was moderate and to snow when it was below freezing.

AB - BACKGROUND: There are few data on the interaction between temperature and snow and rain precipitation, although they could interact in their effects on road traffic injuries.METHODS: The integrated database of the Korea Road Traffic Authority was used to calculate the daily frequency of road traffic injuries in Seoul. Weather data included rain and snow precipitation, temperature, pressure, and fog from May 2007 to December 2011. Precipitation of rain and snow were divided into nine and six temperature range categories, respectively. The interactive effects of temperature and rain and snow precipitation on road traffic injuries were analyzed using a generalized additive model with a Poisson distribution.RESULTS: The risk of road traffic injuries during snow increased when the temperature was below freezing. Road traffic injuries increased by 6.6% when it was snowing and above 0 °C, whereas they increased by 15% when it was snowing and at or below 0 °C. In terms of heavy rain precipitation, moderate temperatures were related to an increased prevalence of injuries. When the temperature was 0-20 °C, we found a 12% increase in road traffic injuries, whereas it increased by 8.5% and 6.8% when it was <0 °C and >20 °C, respectively. The interactive effect was consistent across the traffic accident subtypes.CONCLUSIONS: The effect of adverse weather conditions on road traffic injuries differed depending on the temperature. More road traffic injuries were related to rain precipitation when the temperature was moderate and to snow when it was below freezing.

KW - Accidents, Traffic/statistics & numerical data

KW - Adult

KW - Aged

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Male

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Rain

KW - Risk

KW - Seoul/epidemiology

KW - Snow

KW - Temperature

KW - Wounds and Injuries/epidemiology

U2 - 10.2188/jea.JE20140244

DO - 10.2188/jea.JE20140244

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 26073021

SN - 0917-5040

VL - 25

SP - 544

EP - 552

JO - Journal of Epidemiology

JF - Journal of Epidemiology

IS - 8

ER -