Moose-motor vehicle collisions. An increasing hazard in northern New England
T. M. Farrell, J. E. Sutton, D. E. Clark, W. R. Horner, K. I. Morris, K. S. Finison, G. E. Menchen and K. H. Cohn
Department of Surgery, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA.
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the epidemiology and epizootiology of moose-motor
vehicle collisions (MMVC) and outcomes in severely injured patients to
identify variables that might be modified to reduce the impact of this
mutually deleterious interspecies interaction. DESIGN: Wildlife and Traffic
Safety databases permitted retrospective, population-based assessment of
MMVC epidemiology. A case series compiled from hospital trauma registries
characterized morbidity and mortality from MMVC. SETTING: New Hampshire and
Maine area. PATIENTS: All victims of MMVC (1980 through 1991) were included
in population-based analyses. Twenty-three patients hospitalized at three
rural trauma centers (January 1990 through June 1994) were included in the
case series. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Location, time of day and seasonal
occurrence of MMVC were determined. Injury patterns and Injury Severity
Scores were analyzed in 23 representative patients. Maine's 1991 traffic
and medical data were linked, and factors predictive of injury from MMVC
were identified using multivariate logistics. RESULTS: Most MMVC occur from
April through October after dark. Of 23 subjects, 70% sustained head and/or
face injuries and 26%, cervical spine injuries. Mortality was 9%. Mean
Injury Severity Score was 15.7 (SD=9.0). Safety belt use, rear seat
location, and light truck occupancy were associated with reduced injury
(p<.05). CONCLUSIONS: Moose-motor vehicle collisions are increasing in
rural regions. Prevention programs should emphasize defensive driving and
seat belt use, especially during high-risk periods. Injury patterns in MMVC
suggest a need for automobile design modifications that better protect the
passenger compartment form direct impact.
