Canadian wildlife-vehicle collisions: An examination of knowledge and behavior for collision prevention.

OBJECTIVES: This study examines drivers' responses to wildlife on Canadian roads. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate that knowledge of what to do when encountering wildlife on the road does not always translate into the appropriate behavior to avoid a collision. METHODS: Data from the Traffic Injury Research Foundation's (TIRF) 2016 Road Safety Monitor (RSM) and data from TIRF's National Fatality Database from 2000 to 2014 were analyzed to test hypotheses based on the theory of planned behavior. Logistic regression and piecewise linear regression were used. RESULTS: Analyses of the data showed that the prevalence of fatal WVCs has remained relatively consistent, and that the majority of persons killed in WVCs died in crashes that involved large mammals. The majority of fatalities occurred in the summer (182 or 38.4%) and fall (163 or 34.4%). The RSM data revealed that 60.9% [50.5, 70.4] of respondents who previously hit an animal indicated that drivers should slow down and steer straight when confronted with wildlife, while 47.3% [37.1, 57.6] of respondents indicated this was the action they took when they hit wildlife. Comparatively, 59.5% [56.6, 62.4] of respondent who have not hit an animal indicated this was an appropriate response. Additionally, 33.2% [24, 44] of respondents who previously hit an animal indicated that drivers should swerve to avoid a collision with wildlife, while 37.5% [28.2, 47.8] of respondents indicated this was the action they took when they hit wildlife. CONCLUSIONS: Many drivers are unaware of what the safest method of WVC prevention is. Further, while a subgroup of drivers may have the knowledge and intention to slow down and steer straight even if the animal is directly in the path, i.e., the safest possible behavior, they are not necessarily adopting this behavior. Practical applications: Recommendations are formulated to address this discrepancy, as well as practical applications.

Prevalence and trends of drugged driving in Canada.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluates prevalence and trends in drugged driving in Canada based on multiple indicators collected from the Road Safety Monitor (RSM) and Canada's National Fatality Database maintained by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF). The objective of this paper is to identify the state of drug-positive driving in Canada, as well as to make comparisons with data from previous years to determine whether changes have occurred. METHODS: Available data from the RSM on self-reported drugged driving behaviours were collected and analyzed using multivariate techniques in various years spanning from 2002 to 2015. Data from TIRF's National Fatality Database from 2000 to 2012 were also analyzed to evaluate trends and prevalence of drugs in fatally injured drivers across Canada. Additionally, differences among drugged drivers with respect to gender and age were studied. RESULTS: Analyses of the RSM data and of the National Fatality Database showed that, as a whole, the prevalence of drugged driving has remained relatively stable over the past decade, with some changes noticed in specific years for some drug types. Specifically from the RSM, there was a 62.5% increase from the 1.6% of drivers reporting driving within two hours of using marijuana in 2013 to 2.6% in 2015. The analyses of the fatality data revealed a 16.9% increase in the percentage of fatally injured drivers testing positive for drugs between 2000 and 2012 (from 33.56% to 39.24%). Cocaine-positive fatally injured drivers increased from 3.6% in 2000 to 6.2% in 2012. Similarly, marijuana-positive fatally injured drivers increased from 12.8% in 2000 to 19.7% in 2012. Results showed varying characteristics with respect to gender and age among self-reported and fatally injured drugged drivers. CONCLUSIONS: Drugged driving behaviours remain prevalent among Canadian drivers and drugs continue to be found in over one-third of tested fatally injured drivers. Although self-reported behaviours have neither decreased nor increased overall in the past decade according to RSM data, with the exception of driving within two hours of using marijuana, data from fatally injured drivers reveal that small, but significant increases in some behaviours have occurred.