Low speed vehicle runover incidents: Methodological issues in describing incidence and characteristics in Queensland children aged 0-15 years

Low speed vehicle run-overs (LSVROs) have been identified as a significant cause of transport pedestrian fatalities in young children. There are two main methodological challenges associated with investigating LSVRO incidents: 1) case ascertainment; and 2) disparate data sources. These challenges have resulted in a lack of adequate information about the true burden (fatal and non-fatal) of this injury event, and the circumstances surrounding the incident. The aim of this paper is to discuss each of these issues and their implications, as well as to describe the processes used by the authors to overcome these methodological issues, in order to accurately calculate the incidence and characteristics of LSVRO events. Despite the methodological improvements of this study in relation to case ascertainment and detail of data on incidents, data regarding circumstances leading to the event were not routinely or consistently recorded. A dedicated, prospective data collection would address most of these limitations. More detailed information is required to identify specific risk factors that are relevant to LSVRO events, using improved methodology and consistent and comprehensive classification of events, such as that used in this study.