Car colour and risk of car crash injury: population based case control study

• Published in: BMJ Vol. 327; no. 7429; pp. 1455 - 1456
• Main Authors: Furness, S, Connor, J, Robinson, E, Norton, R, Ameratunga, S, Jackson, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London British Medical Journal Publishing Group 20.12.2003; British Medical Association; BMJ Publishing Group LTD; BMJ Publishing Group; BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
• Edition: International edition
• Subjects: Accidents, Traffic - statistics & numerical data; Age; Alcohol; Automobiles; Automobiles - statistics & numerical data; Biological and medical sciences; Case control studies; Color; Confidence intervals; Crash injuries; Epidemiology; Ethnicity; Fatalities; Hazardous Journeys; Health risk assessment; Humans; Injuries; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; New Zealand - epidemiology; Odds Ratio; Predisposing factors; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Response rates; Risk assessment; Risk Factors; Roads & highways; Silver; Traffic accidents & safety; Wounds and Injuries - epidemiology; New Zealand; Injury; Color; Risk factor; Traffic safety; Traffic accident; Risk; Road traffic; Motor vehicle; Case control study; Lesion; Passenger rail car; Public health
• ISSN: 0959-8138; 0959-8146; 1468-5833; 1756-1833
• DOI: 10.1136/bmj.327.7429.1455

In the multivariable analysis, we assessed the effect of the following potential confounders: age of driver, sex, educational level, ethnicity, alcohol consumption (in previous six hours), use of recreational drugs, seat-belt use, average time spent driving each week, vehicle speed, vehicle age, engine size, registration, warrant of fitness and vehicle insurance, driving licence status, road type, weather, and ambient light conditions (day, night, twilight). Car colour No (%) of cases (n=567) No (%) of controls * (n=588) Univariate odds ratio Multivariable odds ratio [dagger] White 145 (25.6) 146 (25.9) 1 1 Yellow 31 (5.5) 15 (2.8) 2.0 (1.0 to 4.0) 0.8 (0.3 to 2.3) Grey 52 (9.2) 61 (10.0) 0.9 (0.6 to 1.5) 0.6 (0.3 to 1.3) Black 36 (6.4) 34 (5.5) 1.2 (0.7 to 2.0) 2.0 (1.0 to 4.2) Blue 91 (16.1) 96 (17.4) 0.9 (0.6 to 1.4) 0.9 (0.5 to 1.6) Red 85 (15.0) 82 (13.3) 1.1 (0.7 to 1.8) 0.7 (0.4 to 1.4) Green 42 (7.4) 44 (7.0) 1.1 (0.6 to 1.8) 1.8 (1.0 to 3.6) Brown 55 (9.7) 49 (6.8) 1.4 (0.8 to 2.5) 2.1 (1.1 to 4.2) Silver 30 (5.3) 61 (11.3) 0.5 (0.3 to 0.8) 0.4 (0.2 to 0.9) P value - - 0.04 0.003 * Proportions of controls are adjusted for the cluster sampling design. [dagger] Adjusted for driver's age, ethnicity, alcohol consumption in past 6 hours, seat belt use, vehicle speed, average driving time each week, driving licence status, vehicle insurance status, and weather.