Injuries Sustained by Victims of Road Accidents with the Participation of Farm Tractors in Mountainous Regions
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TEKA. COMMISSION OF MOTORIZATION AND ENERGETICS IN AGRICULTURE – 2013, Vol. 13, No. 1, 77–82 Injuries sustained by victims of road accidents with the participation of farm tractors in mountainous regions Agnieszka Krasowska1, Grzegorz Jordan2, Witold Jordan1,3, Andrzej Mruk1 1Cracow University of Technology, Poland 2Jagiellonian University in Cracow, Medical College, Poland 3Institute of Forensic Research in Cracow, Poland Received February 8.2013; accepted March 14.2013 Summary: The paper presents the results of investigation of the and the units (or trailers) co-operating with it and on the consequences of accidents involving a farm tractor used in a moun- accident participants [7, 18]. WDLQRXVUHJLRQZLWKDVSHFL¿FODQGIRUP7KHLQMXULHVVXVWDLQHGE\ In order to identify and classify the injuries sustained by the victims of the accidents were analysed. The basis for analyses was persons participating in such accidents, an investigation was per- WKHGRFXPHQWDWLRQSUHSDUHGE\WKH$JULFXOWXUDO6RFLDO,QVXUDQFH formed; the results of the investigation are discussed in this work. Fund. The results of the analyses allowed for indicating the spec- L¿FLW\RIVXFKDFFLGHQWV7KHKXPDQERG\SDUWVPRVWH[SRVHGWR damage and the severity of injuries were determined. The tractor 5(6($5&+0(7+2'2/2*< drivers sustain the injuries of a different kind than the other par- ticipants of accidents (for example – the passengers). The drivers, apart from the upper and lower limbs injuries, sustain damage to 7KHUHVHDUFKLQFOXGHGWKHDFFLGHQWVRFFXUUHGLQ/HVVHU KHDGDQGWUXQN%HFDXVHRIDFFLGHQWVRIWKHYLFWLPVVXVWDLQ 3RODQG0DáRSROVND9RLYRGHVKLSLQWKHIROORZLQJFRXQWLHV irreparable damage to the body. In majority, it is 1-5% of perma- /LPDQRZD1RZ\6ąF]1RZ\7DUJ7DWUD7KHVWUXFWXUH nent damage to health. There are also fatal accidents. of using lands in selected counties is presented in Table 1. Key words: tractor, accidents, injuries. The analysis of the above table comparing the charac- teristics of examined counties shows that the part of the DUDEOHODQGLQWKHVHFRXQWLHVDPRXQWVWR±RI INTRODUCTION WKHRUFKDUGV±RIPHDGRZVDQGSDVWXUHV ±RIIRUHVWVDQGZRRGODQG± The principal element in agricultural engineering is a farm The accidents were analysed based on the documents of WUDFWRU$WSUHVHQWLQWKH¿HOGVRI3RODQGPRUHWKDQKDOI WKH$JULFXOWXUDO6RFLDO,QVXUDQFH)XQG .586 IURP a million of farm tractors of different types are in operation. ±$FFRUGLQJWRLWVVWDWXWH.586NHHSVWKHGRFXPHQ- 7KH\DUHXVHGIRUW\SLFDOO\DJULFXOWXUDOZRUNV WUDFWRUXQLW tation of all accidents that happened in agriculture. Therefore, DVZHOODVLQWKHWUDQVSRUW WUDFWRUWUDLOHU 7KH\DUHH[SORLWHG WKHDFFLGHQWGRFXPHQWDWLRQVJDWKHUHGE\.586FDQEHXVHG XQGHUGLIIHUHQWFRQGLWLRQVUHVXOWLQJIURPWKHVSHFL¿FLW\RI as source material for analysing accidents with the participa- agricultural lands where they are used. tion of farm tractors. In the paper, we used the materials from In mountainous lands, because of steep slopes, the work .586ORFDOSRVWLQ1RZ\6ąF]ZKLFKDFWLYLW\LQFOXGHVWKH RIDWUDFWRULVGLI¿FXOWDVLWLVQHFHVVDU\WRNHHSLWVVWDELOLW\ FRXQWLHVRI1RZ\6ąF]/LPDQRZD7DWUDDQG1RZ\7DUJ Classic, traditionally designed farm tractors should be able )URPWKHZKROHGRFXPHQWDWLRQDFFLGHQWVZHUHVH- to maintain their stability on a slope of 12o. Special construc- lected. The authors assumed these accidents as a representa- tions of mountain tractors are designed for working on the tive sample of the accidents with the participation of a farm VORSHVRIo. In Poland tractors of traditional designs tractor in the mountain region. are used in mountainous regions [5, 8, 11, 12]. 7KHVSHFL¿FLW\RIXVLQJWUDFWRUVLQPRXQWDLQRXVODQGV i.e. on steep slopes, involves the risk of accident if due cau- 5(6($5&+5(68/76 tion is not observed, when a tractor working with a unit loses its transverse stability. Such accidents usually have The accidents occurred on the meadows and pastures considerable effects on mechanical damages of the tractor DUHD±RQWKHGLUWDQGIRUHVWURDGV±DVSKDOW 78 $*1,(6=.$.5$62:6.$*5=(*25=-25'$1:,72/'-25'$1$1'5=(-058. Table 1. 6WUXFWXUHRIXVLQJODQGVLQVHOHFWHGFRXQWLHVRI0DORSROVND9RLYRGHVKLS>@ $UDEOHODQGV>KD@ Forests Remained Total area and wood- lands and County $UDEOH [ha] Total Orchards 0HDGRZV Pastures land waste land lands [ha] [ha] Tatra 1415 % of total 8 57 12 Nowy Targ 2212 % of total 11 1,5 21 14,5 /LPDQRZD % of total 52 7,4 41,1 1RZ\6ąF] % of total 44,7 8,7 0DáRSROVND % of total 58,2 1,5 11,8 5,4 12,7 URDGV±RWKHU±7KHPRVWIUHTXHQWO\SDUWLFLSDWLQJ The results of the analysis of the accident participants WUDFWRUVZHUH85686&±6$0 LQGLYLGXDOO\ age groups are presented in Fig. 2. DVVHPEOHGWUDFWRUV ±85686&±RWKHUV 6 856860):áDG\PLUHF ±1RQHRIWKHIDUPWUDF- tors was a mountain tractor, adapted to work on a land with 5 a steep slope. 4 7KHUHVXOWVRIUHVHDUFKDUHSUHVHQWHGLQGLDJUDPV%H- till 30 year 3 cause of the small sample size, the results give rather quality 31 - 40 year than quantity information. 2 41 - 50 year The number of accidents in individual counties is pre- EƵŵďĞƌŽĨƉĞƌƐŽŶƐ above 50 year sented in Fig. 1 1 ± /LPDQRZDFRXQW\±DFFLGHQWV 0 ± 1RZ\7DUJFRXQW\±DFFLGHQWV 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 ± 1RZ\6ąF]FRXQW\±DFFLGHQWV zĞĂƌ ± 7DWUDFRXQW\±DFFLGHQWV Fig. 2. $JHJURXSVRIDFFLGHQWSDUWLFLSDQWV above 51 years – 14 persons 7 ±\HDUV±SHUVRQV 6 ±\HDUVSHUVRQV 5 WLOO\HDUV±SHUVRQV 4 Limanowa county SHUVRQVSDUWLFLSDWHGLQDFFLGHQWV7KHDQDO\VLV 3 Nowy Targ county shows that in a majority of accidents, the participants EŽǁLJ^ČĐnjĐŽƵŶƚLJ 2 EƵŵďĞƌŽĨĂĐĐŝĚĞŶƚƐ Tatra county ZHUHPRUHWKDQ\HDUVROG 7KHPRVWQXPHU- 1 ous group, that is 28%, in mountainous regions includes 0 WKHSHUVRQVIURPWKHDJHLQWHUYDO±7KHJURXSRI 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 people more than 51 years old is also large – 27% of zĞĂƌ all the participants of accidents with farm tractors. The Fig. 1. Number of accidents with the participation of a tractor SHUVRQV\RXQJHUWKDQFRQVWLWXWHDVPDOOJURXSRI in individual counties persons, i.e. 17% of the total number of victims in such accidents. This age structure is presumably the effect From the source material it appears that the number of of the advantageous opinion on abilities and routine of DFFLGHQWVZDVWKHKLJKHVWLQ1RZ\6ąF]FRXQW\ DFFL- middle-aged and older people in the works using a farm GHQWV DQGWKDWLWZDVWKHORZHVWLQ7DWUDFRXQW\ DFFL- tractor in mountainous regions. It is notable, at the same GHQWV ,Q/LPDQRZDFRXQW\DFFLGHQWVWRRNSODFHZKLOH WLPHWKDWWKHFRXQWU\µJURZVROG¶DQGHOGHUO\SHRSOHKDYH LQ1RZ\7DUJFRXQW\±,WLVFOHDUWKDWWKHQXPEHURI health problems, which can influence the increase of the accidents correlates with the surface development in these number of accidents in country lands. UHJLRQV,Q1RZ\6ąF]FRXQW\DUDEOHODQGVUHSUHVHQWXSWR ,QWKHDFFLGHQWVZLWKWKHODUJHVWJURXSRIYLFWLPV RIWKHFRXQW\DUHDZKLOHLQ7DWUDFRXQW\RQO\RI happened. In this period up to 14 persons participated in the the county total area. accidents with farm tractors, ¾ of whom were the persons The most accidents with farm tractors in the mountain- above 41 years old. RXVODQGVKDSSHQHGLQ±DFFLGHQWVWKHOHDVWDFFL- The analysis of the victims (driver, passenger, observer) GHQWVKDSSHQHGLQ±RQO\DFFLGHQWV RIWKHDFFLGHQWVZLWKIDUPWUDFWRUVLVSUHVHQWHGLQ)LJ ,1-85,(66867$,1('%<9,&7,062)52$'$&&,'(176 16 SHRSOHVXVWDLQHGSURORQJHGLQMXULHVDQGSHUVRQVGLHG 14 0RUHRYHUWKHDWWHQWLRQPXVWEHSDLGWRWKHVHYHULW\GHJUHH 12 of prolonged and constant injuries. The severity of prolonged 10 damages to health, i.e. the percentage of damage to health, 8 Observer - 3 persons LVVLJQL¿FDQWO\OHVVHUWKDQLQWKHFDVHRIFRQVWDQWLQMXULHV 6 Passenger - 9 persons From the group of 52 persons, half of them will be disabled EƵŵďĞƌŽĨƉĞƌƐŽŶƐ 4 Driver - 40 persons for life. The scale of danger involved in the work using 2 DWUDFWRULQWKHUHJLRQVZLWKVLJQL¿FDQWVORSHVLVYHU\ODUJH 0 16 Prolonged damage to health 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 14 Constant damage to health zĞĂƌ 12 10 Death Fig. 3. 9LFWLPVRIDJULFXOWXUDODFFLGHQWV 8 6 4 The analysis shows that not only the persons actively EƵŵďĞƌŽĨƉĞƌƐŽŶƐ 2 participating in the works with a farm tractor: driver – 77% 0 0% 1 - 5 % 6 - 10 % 11 - 15 % 16 - 20 % 21 - 30 % above 30 death and passenger – 17%, but also passive observers of the event % VXVWDLQLQMXULHV± WĞƌĐĞŶƚĂŐĞŽĨĚĂŵĂŐĞƚŽŚĞĂůƚŚ Statistical participation of the victims of accidents with Fig. 5. Injury severity rate of the victims IDUPWUDFWRUVLVDVIROORZVSDVVHQJHUVDQGREVHUY- ers to one injured driver. The location of the post-accident injuries is presented LQ)LJ Problems due to the mountainnous Lower limb land 11% Other 10% 15% 27% Upper limb 15% 52% Trunk 22% Bad technical condition of tractor 22% 26% Head Alcohol Fig. 4. Cause of accidents Fig. 6. /RFDWLRQRISRVWDFFLGHQWLQMXULHV The analysis of the accidents causes demonstrates that The analysis of the post-accident injuries shows that more than a half – 52% of accidents is caused by wrong KDOIRIWKHPDUHWKHLQMXULHVWRWKHOLPEVXSSHU DQG driving technique, not adapted to the current conditions, lower (27%). Trunk injuries are ¼ of all the injuries. Head DQGE\LQVXI¿FLHQWGULYHUDELOLWLHVUHTXLUHGIRURSHUDWLQJ injuries and multiple-organ injuries are seldom encountered; WUDFWRUVXQGHUKHDY\PRXQWDLQRXVFRQGLWLRQV%DGWHFKQLFDO they represent 25% of all post-accident injuries. condition of the farm tractors contributes to an increase $FRPSDULVRQRILQMXULHVVXVWDLQHGE\DGULYHUDQGDSDV- LQWKHQXPEHURIDFFLGHQWVDVZHOO$PRQJDQDO\VHG senger is presented in Fig. 7 DFFLGHQWVZLWKDWUDFWRURQO\RIDOOWUDFWRUVKDGEHHQ $ % WHVWHG$OFRKRODQGRWKHUFDXVHVOLNHFDUHOHVVQHVVRUJURVV 7% QHJOLJHQFHDUHWKHFDXVHVRIDFFLGHQWVZLWKIDUPWUDFWRUV 14% The operation of a farm tractor in a mountainous