Characteristics of Agriculture Related Motor Vehicle Crashes in Rural New York State

J Agromedicine. 2020 Apr;25(2):173-178. doi: 10.1080/1059924X.2019.1623143. Epub 2019 May 30.

Abstract

Objective: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data have shown that agriculture, forestry, and fishing as an occupational group have the third highest rate of work-related roadway crashes. Agriculture-related crashes have been explored in the Midwest and South; however, we know little about agriculture-related crashes in the Northeast, especially in New York.Methods: To better understand this, researchers obtained motor vehicle crash data from 2010 to 2012 from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (NYSDMV). These data were then filtered to agriculture-related cases by both vehicle registration type and vehicle body type.Results: We identified 203 agriculture-related vehicle crashes, involving 381 vehicles and 482 people. Of the agriculture incidents, 91.6% caused property damage, while 36.0% caused injury. The case fatality rate for roadway vehicle crashes was nearly five times as great (2.0/0.4 = 5.00) for agriculture versus non-agriculture crashes (p = 0.0003).Conclusion: Using these data as a supplement to the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health's existing surveillance system provided information useful in setting priorities involving roadway safety.

Keywords: Agriculture; crash; farm equipment; roadway.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Accidents, Occupational / statistics & numerical data*
  • Accidents, Traffic / statistics & numerical data*
  • Agriculture / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Motor Vehicles / statistics & numerical data
  • New York
  • Rural Population / statistics & numerical data*