CNA 145 Child and adolescent health
Indah Puspalasari – 118205
Research report
Unintentional injury: road traffic injury among young males 15-24 of age years
Introduction
Unintentional injury is defined as an injury which is judged to have occurred without anyone intending that harm to be done (National Centre for Health Statistics 2005). Road traffic accidents are described as one of the major unintentional injury problem that causes death of people 15-24 of age years. It is a complex issue caused by the interrelationship of many contributing factors. Two of these are risk taking behaviours and novice drivers, both of which have increased at an incredible rate over recent years (Kedves 2008, p.2).
The focus of the report will be on young males aged 15-24 in Australia. Young males may experience more road traffic accidents than young females attitudes that may cause to unintentional road injury ( p.21). In addition, young male rate was over twice as high as that for young female (Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2008).
The primary purpose of this report is to provide information for nursing community about road injury as one type of unintentional injury. This report describes unintentional injury by firstly illustrating risk taking behaviour and novice drivers. This is followed by a discussion about the combination strategy of education and parents support may help to promote government policy in preventing and reducing road traffic injury for young males.
Risk taking behaviour and novice drivers
Firstly, risk taking behaviour is one of the main factors of road accident cases in Australia among young males (Fernandes & Hatfield 2006, p. 28). Young males may aggressively seek out risk because they want to look for new situations and experiences to maintain a heightened rate of physiological arousal (Kedves 2008, p.2). Although risk behaviour is usually recognised to be a normal level of adolescent growth, it may bring injury that could result in death (ABS 2008). For example, young drivers, especially males, are more likely to speed, and drink driving that lead to unintentional injury (Racioppi, Eriksson, Tingvall & Villaveces 2004, p.14). In 2007, out of 100,000 young males’ drivers, 181 deaths in all states of Australia as a result of speeding or drink driving (Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional and Local Government 2009, p.7). Furthermore, drink driving is another contributing problem, which is causing road injury among young males. AIHW (2008, pp.24-29) reports that based on the number of Australian population in 2007, 26.6% of males had driven a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, which calculates to 2.9% of respondent ages 14 years and 4.2% males older than 14 years old of reporting having driven a vehicle while under the influence of an illicit drug. In a study conducted by Drummer, Gerostamoulos, Batziris, Chu, Caplehorn, Robertson, & Swann (2003, pp.154-162.) based on the blood test given to three Australian states; Victoria (VIC), New South Wales (NSW) and Western Australia (WA) that 3398 fatality injured drivers found had consumed illegal drugs such as the stimulant methylamphetamine, also known as speed; and 3, 4-methylenedioxy-N-methamphetamine (MDMA), also known as ecstasy. Driving under the influence of drugs such as these can lead to changes in cognitive performance and impair brain functioning, therefore impairing driving ability (Austroads 2000). This means that drivers who have consumed these substances are more likely to take risks, and less able to make correct decisions or properly control their vehicle (AIHW 2008).
Another factor is novice drivers’ lack of driving experience and skills in identifying potential dangers, positioning them at increased risk of an accident (World Health Organization (WHO) 2007, p.17). The percentage of crash is 30% more likely among novice drivers in the first 6 months of driving compared to the next 6 months (Rechichi 2008, p.2). For example, in 2008, out of 100,000 young males’ drivers, 200 deaths in all states of Australia as a result of their lack driving experiences (Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional and Local Government 2009, p.7). In addition, one of the greater risk is
Community prevention strategy
There are some solutions to preventing and reducing road injury such as road regulations, and community-based programmes that include safety education and parents’ supports. The Australian Government has set up reasonable regulatory restrictions for a driver as a way to protect young drivers and other road user for example, late night driving restrictions, peer passengers restrictions, split provisional phase (P1 and P2), screen-based Hazard Perception Test (HPT) and some important regulations of license restrictions (National Road Transport Commission 2005, pp.34-59).
Another example is focusing on safety education program, which has proven effective in reducing road traffic injury among young people. For example, RYDA (Road safe Youth Driver Awareness) is a non- profit company that has promoted road safety education program introduced to the youth of Australian community through Rotary Clubs (RYDA 2010). RYDA also illustrates that the focus of the programs are on attitude and awareness with the purpose of helping young people have a good understanding about their own safety and their environment such as understand their rights and the responsibilities as drivers, passengers and pedestrians. The survey shows that the road safety program can reduce 44% of road injuries, the survey based on the questionnaires of the relationship between the road safety education programs feedback to (Senserrick, Ivers, Boufous, Chen et al 2009).
Parents support can help to reduce and to prevent road injury. Parents, who license, should act as role models for safe driving (Lavelle. P 2006). For example, the program, which is known as parent-teen driving agreements, pioneered in the US is now applied in many countries (Lavelle 2006). Lavelle also informs that The R2S program is facilitated safe driving agreements between parents and their teenagers, both of them should sign the agreement that inform they do understand clearly about the rights and the responsibilities as the road users. In addition, this program is providing a figure for a family about safety education. Therefore, the R2S program is a good starting point for motivating Australian community to promote actions for preventing and reducing road traffic.
Summary
In conclusion, the combination of safety education and parents support is proven as an effective way to support government regulations in preventing and reducing road traffic injury for young males. It is clear that the safety education program is beneficial to young people because they can get a deeper knowledge about how important it is to understand their rights and regulations as a driver. The research shows that the safety education is not only safe for young drivers but also for other road users. Furthermore, parents play an important role as gatekeepers in the learning stage of young drivers. Finally, “don’t turn a night out into a nightmare” can be a good motto for young drivers. Most believe that if young drivers drive safely, they save their life as the future generations.
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