SUICIDE BY VEHICULAR CRASH

• NCJ Number: 44106
• Journal: American Journal of Psychiatry Volume: 134 Issue: 2 Dated: (FEBRUARY 1977) Pages: 175-178
• Author(s): C W SCHMIDT; J W SHAFFER; H I ZLOTOWITZ; R S FISHER
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 4 pages
• Contract Number(s): HS-198-2-316
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Admin
• Corporate Author: American Psychiatric Assoc
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: REVISED VERSION OF A PAPER PRESENTED AT THE 129TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION, MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, MAY 10-14, 1976

Annotation

DATA ON THE OCCURRENCE OF SUICIDES AND SUICIDE ATTEMPTS BY VEHICULAR CRASH IN A SAMPLE OF FATALLY AND NONFATALLY INJURED DRIVERS IS PRESENTED.

Abstract

INFORMATION ON 182 FATALLY INJURED AND 96 NONFATALLY INJURED DRIVERS INVOLVED IN VEHICULAR CRASHES OVER A 6-YEAR PERIOD FROM AUGUST 1968 TO JULY 1975 IN THE BALTIMORE MD., METROPOLITAN AREA AND SURROUNDING PORTIONS OF BALTIMORE COUNTY WAS EVALUATED. MULTIDISCIPLINARY INVESTIGATIONS WERE CONDUCTED INTO THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE ACCIDENTS, INCLUDING INSPECTIONS OF THE ACCIDENT SITE AND VEHICLE(S) INVOLVED, MECHANICAL DISSECTION OF THE VEHICLE(S), EXAMINATION OF POLICE REPORTS, CHECKING OF DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLE RECORDS, COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERVIEWS WITH RELATIVES AND FRIENDS OF THE VICTIM, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL AUTOPSY OF THE VICTIM. BASED ON DATA ANALYSIS, ONLY 3 (1.7 PERCENT) OF THE TOTAL FATAL CRASHES WERE CONSIDERED TO HAVE BEEN SUICIDES, AND 1 (1 PERCENT) OF THE NONFATAL CRASHES WAS LABELED A SUICIDE ATTEMPT. NEITHER GROUP OF DRIVERS HAD UNUSUALLY HIGH INCIDENCES OF PREVIOUS SUICIDAL THOUGHTS OR BEHAVIOR, BUT BOTH GROUPS TENDED TO BE SOCIALLY DEVIANT, WITH ABOVE AVERAGE LEVELS OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND SOCIAL AGGRESSIVENESS. CRASH VICTIMS IN BOTH GROUPS ALSO HAD POOR DRIVING RECORDS AND HIGH RATES OF ALCOHOL ABUSE, FINDINGS THAT HAVE IMPORTANT IMPLICATIONS FOR ACCIDENT PREVENTION. SUPPORTING STATISTICS IN TABULAR FORM AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED).