Laapotti S, Keskinen E
University of Turku, Department of Psychology, Finland.
Accid Anal Prev. 1998 Jul;30(4):435-42. doi: 10.1016/s0001-4575(97)00121-8.
The study describes some factors behind fatal loss-of-control accidents of young male and female drivers. These loss-of-control accidents were compared to accidents in which the driver did not lose control of the car. The data comprised all fatal car accidents of young (18-21 years old) drivers in Finland during the years 1978-1991. Only culpable drivers were included in the analysis (the number of accidents studied was 338 for males and 75 for females). All these accidents were investigated by the Road Accident Investigation Teams in Finland and the original team reports were used. The results showed that equal proportions of all male and female drivers' accidents were loss-of-control accidents. However, when male drivers lost control of their car, it usually led to a single-vehicle accident, but for female drivers the loss of control usually resulted in a collision with another car. Male drivers drove too fast and under the influence of alcohol more often in loss-of-control accidents than in other types of accidents. Typically the male drivers' loss of control accidents took place during evenings and nights. The female drivers' loss-of-control accidents usually took place in slippery road conditions. This study concludes that risky driving habits play a bigger role in male drivers' loss-of-control accidents than in male drivers' no loss-of-control accidents or in any kind of female drivers' accidents. Lack of vehicle handling skills may be crucial in female drivers' loss-of-control accidents. Advantages of studying loss-of-control accidents instead of single-vehicle accidents are discussed.
该研究描述了年轻男女驾驶员致命失控事故背后的一些因素。这些失控事故与驾驶员未失去对车辆控制的事故进行了比较。数据包括1978年至1991年期间芬兰18至21岁年轻驾驶员的所有致命车祸。分析中仅纳入了应负责任的驾驶员（男性事故研究数量为338起，女性为75起）。所有这些事故均由芬兰道路事故调查小组进行调查，并使用了原始小组报告。结果显示，所有男性和女性驾驶员事故中失控事故的比例相同。然而，当男性驾驶员失去对车辆的控制时，通常会导致单车事故，但对于女性驾驶员来说，失控通常会导致与另一辆车相撞。在失控事故中，男性驾驶员比在其他类型事故中更常超速驾驶且受酒精影响。通常，男性驾驶员的失控事故发生在傍晚和夜间。女性驾驶员的失控事故通常发生在道路湿滑的情况下。本研究得出结论，危险驾驶习惯在男性驾驶员的失控事故中比在男性驾驶员的非失控事故或任何女性驾驶员的事故中发挥更大作用。缺乏车辆操控技能可能是女性驾驶员失控事故的关键因素。文中还讨论了研究失控事故而非单车事故的优势。
