Preliminary Analysis of Roadway Accident Rates for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Drivers — Forensic Engineering Application

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization, there are more than 360 million people worldwide with hearing loss. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has reported that close to 30% of the United States population 65 years or older has significant hearing loss. The objective of this paper was to determine if deaf and hard-of-hearing drivers are more likely to be involved in motor vehicle accidents than hearing drivers. Data was extracted from the National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) and motor vehicle accident recordsfrom the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) campuses. The results of the NASS data analysis indicate that deaf and hard-of-hearing drivers are one and a half to nine times as likely to be seriously injured or killed in a motor vehicle accident. Motor vehicle accident records from RIT and NTID suggest that deaf and hard-of-hearing drivers are approximately three times as likely to be involved in a motor vehicle accident as hearing individuals. Forensic engineers may be able to use this data to assist in forensic engineering analysis in cases where deaf or hard-of-hearing drivers are involved.