Injury Patterns in Road Traffic Collisions: A Visual Investigation of Affected Body Parts

Background. Road safety is a major public concern, as road traffic accidents result in numerous casualties and significant economic losses. In traffic collisions, the pattern of injuries sustained by drivers often varies depending on various accident factors. The interactions between safety device use, alcohol consumption status, and injury locations can reveal important association patterns and insights. Therefore, we examine patterns in injury locations, accounting for safety device use and alcohol consumption. Method. In this study, we applied two complementary graphical approaches, including multiple correspondence (MCA) analyses and mosaic plots (MPs). Results. The MPs reveal the existence of meaningful patterns between injury location, alcohol consumption, and safety device. Likewise, the MCA reveals that head/neck injuries are more likely to be associated with alcohol impairment. In particular, sober status and safety device used tend to be associated with all injury locations, excepted head/neck injuries. Furthermore, the chi-square statistic with p < 0.05 rejects the null hypothesis ( H 0 ) of non-association between injury location, safety devices, and alcohol consumption factors. By providing concrete evidence and insights, these findings can inspire policymakers and safety device manufacturers to improve the effectiveness of safety devices.