• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.13-22
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• 2018

Buses, one of the representative public transportation modes, are divided into a vareity of service types according to the purpose of operation, operating distance, and management agencies. Although bus-involved crashes may cause large amount of damage due to the higher number of passengers boarded on a bus, prior research has little focused on crash severity according to bus service types. This study aims to investigate factors influencing crash severity in bus-involved crashes and to present policy implications to reduce crash severity by bus service type. To do this, bus-involved crash data from the Traffic Accident Analysis System (TAAS) during five-year period are used. Ordered probit models for three types of bus service, i.e., city bus, suburban and express buses, and charter buses, are estimated to analyze the factors of accident severity. The results show that there are significant differences of factors affecting crash severity among the types of bus services while speed and road surface influence all the types of buses. In case of local buses, time of day, roadway alignment, and installation of a traffic signal are found to be statistically significant factors. Seat belt and road class have significant effects on injury severity of the intercity and express buses. Chartered buses have time of day, driving experience, seatbelt, traffic signal, and day of week as the significant factors. The results of this study are expected to contribute to the reduction of the crash severity by each bus service type.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.77-90
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• 2009

Civil complaints and lawsuits filed in the process of providing emergency medical service include fall accident on the way of carrying the patient, transfer consent, refusal and rejection of rescue request, range and behavior restriction of emergency medical technicians, false registry of logbook, neglect of duty and emergency patient, and violation of traffic laws on the way of dispatch to the scene of accident. This study suggested the measures by cases as follows. 1. The accidents on the way of carrying a patient could be divided into fall of patient and fall by paramedic's mistake. In the former case, damages caused by the ambulance's shaking must be notified to the patient and guardian and recommended to fasten seat belt, in the latter case, the plan of patient's posture, route of transport, rescue and equipments should be comfirmed before fixing the patient. 2. Transfer consent must be made as implied when the patient is unconscious under delusion and was not able to consent physically, and paramedic must take an action by his judgment and record details of services on logbook. 3. When a patient refused to transfer, get 'confirmation of transfer refusal' and inform him of refusal. Paramedic should receive the signature. In addition, in case of refusal, transfer request should be made after hearing doctor's opinion and it should be notified to transfer request and superintendent of fire station after making 'confirmation of transfer refusal'. 4. Emergency medical technicians should perform their duties within the range of services prescribed by Article 41 of Law of Emergency Medical Service and Article 33 of Its Enforcement Regulations and shall not make announcement of death. In case of reporting the death to guardian, it is desirable to use record data like ECG results. 5. The best way to have protection from legal problems is making and keeping the exact records of accident and patient. Paramedic should not mention his subjective opinion about the accident-related matter. He must record correctly and keep the original medical records. 6. As emergency medical technicians are responsible for taking care of emergency patients, they must contact a briefing room when they meet a difficult situation suddenly due to vehicle stop or treatment of other patients and then must have support from neighboring hospital and other safety centers. 7. Since the ambulance operator is responsible for safety and careful driving of ambulance, he must be careful when he violates traffic regulations unavoidably. The operator should drive slowly below 10km/h at an intersection and pass it after getting way from general vehicles driving from all directions.