METHODOLOGY

Fatal Injuries - Data Source
ATV- and bicycle-related deaths for the years 2000-2004 were identified from the National Center for Health Statistics Multiple Cause-of Death public-access file,15 with assistance form the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation.
 
Case Definitions
ATV.  ATV-related deaths were defined using ICD-10 external cause of morbidity and mortality codes V86.0 – V86.9.16

Bicycle/Pedalcycle.  Bicycle-related deaths were identified using ICD-10 external cause of morbidity and mortality codes V10 – V19.16

Fatality Rates
The use of a population-based approach to calculate fatality rates is methodologically sound and has been demonstrated and published for ATV deaths.6  However, it would have been preferable to use a registration-based rate. This was not feasible because the majority of the nearly 7 million ATVs estimated to be in use in 2004 are most likely not registered.1 In 2004, only 16 of 50 states required registration of ATVs with a motor vehicle registration agency.17 Furthermore, there are also no current or reasonably accurate counts of bicycles in use.  
 
Cost Estimates – based on National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

A human capital approach was used to estimate the national economic impact resulting from deaths associated with ATV and bicycle crashes.  This approach incorporates quality of life (QOL), work loss and medical components and has been used previously to estimate costs of ATV-related deaths.4   The conceptual framework of the human capital approach encompasses direct and indirect costs to individuals and to society as a whole.  During their lifetime, individuals function as producers and consumers of economic output.  Injured individuals are considered a fundamental part of the societal impact; the value of their decreased production and their decreased consumption is included in the total cost.18

National cost estimates were made using ‘nominal dollars’ as the standard. This means that all the incidents are presented using the value of the dollar in that year.  This method does not directly allow inter-year comparisons using costs presented in constant dollars. The nominal approach however, might be useful when comparing injury costs to external information, such as government budgets for injury prevention programs.

Cost modeling assistance was provided by Dr. Bruce Lawrence, an economist from the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Calverton, MD.  The QOL, work loss and medical components are briefly described below. 

Definition of Economic Costs

• Medical – medical treatment including that given during transport to a medical facility, emergency room and inpatient costs, follow-up visits, physical therapy, rehabilitation, prescriptions, prosthetic devices, home modifications, and costs associated with police and fire department response.
• Work Loss – vocational rehabilitation required as a result of disability, market productivity related to lost wages and benefits over the remaining life span, and costs of workplace disruption.
• Quality of Life – household productivity, insurance administration, legal costs, property damage, psychosocial or emotional trauma, long-term changes in a person’s functional capacity, and travel delay for persons not involved in the crash.  

BACK TO STUDY