Background
Globally, road traffic collisions (RTCs) are the leading cause of death in people aged 15–19, and the second highest cause of death in 20–25 year-olds. In the UK around 300 young people aged 16–29 were killed when driving or riding vehicles, and over 4000 seriously injured during 2011. RTCs are of particular concern in rural areas in the UK, with the highest proportion of RTC-related fatalities and injuries occurring on rural roads. In general, UK figures present a more favourable picture than many other countries; however, recent UK policy documents suggest that more work can be done to reduce road deaths and injuries.
Research suggests that there may be specific risk factors for RTCs which are unique to, or elevated in, young people compared with older adults. These include: limited driving experience; night-time driving; fatigue; particular risks for young men. Other age-specific risk factors may include: personality characteristics; driving ability; demographic factors; perceived environment; driving environment; and developmental factors.
To develop effective prevention programmes the factors associated with RTCs must be identified and understood. In the UK, routine road traffic injury data are compiled via STATS19, a national database detailing the nature of a collision, the location, and a record of casualty involvement. These data are collected at the scene of the collision by an attending police officer. Although such quantitative data provide valuable intelligence for the monitoring and prevention of RTCs and related casualties, other data sources (including those facilitating qualitative analysis) may complement existing routine data, thus aiding action on road safety. For instance, narrative text in particular can provide more detail on the events surrounding unintentional injury and death. However, analysis of narrative text in the injury field has largely sought to quantify that data. Qualitative methods, including thematic analysis of narrative text, offer opportunities for an in-depth examination of phenomena. A qualitative approach can complement quantitative methods, by taking into account the wider social context of the crash and examining attitudes and experiences of those connected to the event.
Study Aims
In other countries, most notably Australia, the value of coroners' records for informing public health action is recognised, particularly relating to injury prevention. Previous studies in England and Wales have examined coroners' records for public health purposes, but the focus has most often been on suicide prevention rather than issues such as road traffic fatalities. Coroners' records contain a range of narrative text that is conducive to qualitative analysis, including witness statements, police reports and court transcripts. Therefore, this study used a thematic analysis of narrative text, contained in coroners' records of fatal RTCs among young people (aged 16–24) in a rural county in the south west of England, to explore if these might complement exist data sources and help identify further areas for prevention.