by admin | Feb 7, 2025 | News
ITMA board‘s electronic board meeting ended the 5:th of February 2025. It was formally decided that our next world congress will take place in Tokyo, Japan, in September 2026. Dr Masahito Hitosugi will be acting congress president of this our 27:th world congress.
Jihong Zhou from Chongqing, China is ITMA:s new president, Lars Englund from Falun, Sweden is new president elect .
ITMA thanks Jack Szymanski for his long and fruitful term as president and he is now formally ITMA:s Immediate Past President
by admin | Feb 3, 2025 | News
Why Clinicians Do Not Councel Patients for More Road Traffic Safety. Link to open-access version is <https://rdcu.be/d769K>
Clinicians rarely counsel patients about road traffic safety despite the substantial health risks and available methods for prevention. This article explains why. Specifically, the neglect may arise because road travel is not a conventional healthcare topic and safety counseling is an unfamiliar practice. Additional barriers include potential dissatisfaction from some patients and an absence of methods for monitoring adherence. Clinicians may be further hindered by inadequate motivation due to a lack of glamour or the risk of personal embarrassment. More obstacles arise from established agencies that already hold responsibilities and potential conflicts with larger cultural forces. These limitations suggest further progress might be modest and that alternative strategies may offer greater future promise for more traffic safety.
by admin | Jan 6, 2025 | News
ITMA board will have an extra electronic board meeting in January 2025 where we will discuss a proposal from Japan to hold our next congress there in 2026. More information will come!
by admin | Jan 6, 2025 | News
It is with profound grief that we announce the passing of Prof. Wang Zhengguo. He left us at 9:26 on January 5, 2025, in Shanghai, at the age of 90.
Prof. Wang was a pioneer, being one of the principal founders of research in traffic medicine in China. His life’s work paved the way for advancements that saved countless lives and enhanced medical knowledge.
He dedicated his career to the Army Medical University, PLA , training generations of medical professionals and spearheading critical research. His wisdom, passion, and commitment will be deeply missed, but his legacy will endure, inspiring future generations to strive for excellence in medicine.
As a long standing ITMA board member his efforts to organize ITMA world congresses in China was very successful and Professor Wang was a true friend of international contact and cooperation in the scientific field of Traffic Medicine.
by admin | Mar 12, 2024 | News
In celebration of his 85th Birthday, still with zero involvements in any traffic crash, ITMA President-Emeritus Leonard Evans has produced a YouTube available at https://youtu.be/cxJCswODOEI. In it Dr. Evans states “In 68 years of driving I have been involved in zero traffic crashes, and I’m going to tell you how you too can also have zero crashes. Of course, if you already have had one (or more) I’m too late. But I’ll tell you how to never have another”.
by admin | Jan 23, 2024 | News
A new study from ITMA board member Donald Redelmeier
Donald A. Redelmeier, MD, FRCPC, MSHSR, FACP
Jonathan Wang, MMASc
Deva Thiruchelvam, MSc
Published:December 02, 2022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2022.11.002
Abstract:
Background
Coronavirus disease (COVID) vaccine hesitancy is a reflection of psychology that might also contribute to traffic safety. We tested whether COVID vaccination was associated with the risks of a traffic crash.
Methods
We conducted a population-based longitudinal cohort analysis of adults and determined COVID vaccination status through linkages to individual electronic medical records. Traffic crashes requiring emergency medical care were subsequently identified by multicenter outcome ascertainment of all hospitals in the region over a 1-month follow-up interval (178 separate centers).
Results
A total of 11,270,763 individuals were included, of whom 16% had not received a COVID vaccine and 84% had received a COVID vaccine. The cohort accounted for 6682 traffic crashes during follow-up. Unvaccinated individuals accounted for 1682 traffic crashes (25%), equal to a 72% increased relative risk compared with those vaccinated (95% confidence interval, 63-82; P < 0.001). The increased traffic risks among unvaccinated individuals extended to diverse subgroups, was similar to the relative risk associated with sleep apnea, and was equal to a 48% increase after adjustment for age, sex, home location, socioeconomic status, and medical diagnoses (95% confidence interval, 40-57; P < 0.001). The increased risks extended across the spectrum of crash severity, appeared similar for Pfizer, Moderna, or other vaccines, and were validated in supplementary analyses of crossover cases, propensity scores, and additional controls.
Conclusions
These data suggest that COVID vaccine hesitancy is associated with significant increased risks of a traffic crash. An awareness of these risks might help to encourage more COVID vaccination
