Safety Information Systems

Drivers Who Ran Off the Road
Maine Crash Facts, 1996

Maine Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System (CODES)

During 1996, crashes involving drivers who ran off the road, resulted in the highest number of injuries, hospitalization, hospital cost, and death compared with any other type of crash on Maine roads.

After removing crashes due to adverse weather or road conditions and multiple vehicle crashes, 2,641 Maine drivers who ran off the road were studied. They represented less than 1 in 20 Maine drivers involved in crashes on Maine roads but 6 of every 20 drivers who were hospitalized or died.

	*Includes only crashes where the road was dry. Crashes resulting from adverse weather or road conditions not included.

Of these drivers, 1,178 (45 percent) were injured and 548 were transported by EMS. Those hospitalized spent 1,069 days in the hospital at a cost of $3.2 million (40 percent of all inpatient charges incurred).

Over 80 percent of the crashes where drivers ran off the road occurred in rural areas and the injury rate per vehicle mile traveled was 13 times higher on local roads and 6 times higher on collectors than on interstates.

Forty-one percent of these crashes occurred at a curve in the road.

The drivers of these vehicles were twice as likely to be male as female, and the rate of injury from these types of crashes was 6 times higher for young drivers age 16-24 than for older drivers.

Per licensed driver, young drivers were 15 times more likely to be injured in a non-alcohol related crash resulting from excessive speed than older drivers. They were also more likely to run off the road on a curve and be on a local road.

*Includes only crashes where the road was dry. Crashes resulting from adverse weather or road conditions not included.

Of the 181 drivers who were hospitalized or died, 38 hit a utility pole and 66 hit a tree after leaving the roadway.

Eighty-percent of the crashes occurred on roads with posted speed limits of 45 mph or less. However, the risk of injury during a crash increased by 17 percent for every 10 mph increase in the posted speed limit.

Male drivers were more likely to run off the road due to alcohol-related crashes and they were more likely to occur at night.

Alcohol-related crashes accounted for 40 percent of the most serious injuries and hospital cost. Drivers who ran off the road in alcohol-related crashes accounted for 4 in every 10 drivers who were hospitalized or died and represented $1.4 of the $3.2 million in inpatient hospital charges.

Of the 1,178 drivers injured, 599 (51 percent) were injured during the weekend period (Friday-Sunday). Of 359 drivers in alcohol-related crashes, 216 (60 percent) occurred during the weekend period.

*Includes only crashes where the road was dry. Crashes resulting from adverse weather or road conditions not included.

Those involved in alcohol-related crashes were also less likely to be wearing a seat belt.

Six in 10 drivers who were hospitalized or died when they ran off the road were not wearing a seat belt. Those not using seat belts incurred $1.7 million of the inpatient hospital charges.

Thirty-five percent of the drivers injured in crashes on interstates and 24 percent of those injured on principal arterials, ran off the road because they were fatigued or fell asleep. However, since these crashes were less common, they only accounted for 18 (10 percent) of those drivers with the most serious injuries (hospitalized or died).

While the injuries sustained by drivers who ran off the road were significant, these crashes resulted in additional injuries and cost to the passengers who also occupied the vehicle.

Three of every 10 persons injured in these crashes was a passenger.

Table 1. Outcomes of 1996 crashes involving Maine drivers who ran off the road* Outcome Measures Drivers Passengers Total Persons involved 2,641 1,371 4,012 Injured 1,178 503 1,681 Transported by EMS# 548 223 771 Hospital days# 1,069 211 1,280 Hospital charges# $3,220,254 $525,438 $3,745,692 Hospitalized or died 181 44 225 Years of potential life lost 1,382 603 1,985 * Excludes crashes due to adverse weather conditions or multi-vehicle crashes. #Represents linked records only and may underestimate actual counts.

The addition of passengers increased the total number of persons who were hospitalized or died to 225 and the years of potential life lost to 1,985.

The average inpatient hospital bill for those who ran off the road and were admitted to the hospital was $19,714.

The Maine CODES Project Advisory Committee:

Maine Health Information Center (report and data preparation)
Maine Department of Human Services, Bureau of Health, Office of Data, Research, and Vital Statistics (project coordinator)
Maine Department of Human Services, Childhood Injury Prevention and Control
Maine Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Highway Safety
Maine Department of Public Safety, Emergency Medical Services
Maine Department of Secretary of State, Bureau of Motor Vehicles
Maine Department of Transportation
Physicians from Maine Medical Center and Eastern Maine Medical Center

Supported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration