The influence of cardiovascular diseases of the drivers on the occurrence of traffic accidents.

The aim of this study was to establish the prevalence and influence of cardiovascular disorders on the occurrence of traffic accidents. The test group consisted of 620 drivers with certain cardiovascular disorders: hypertension (52.9%), arrhythmia (28.4%), coronary artery disease (10.9%), and thromboangiitis obliterans (7.7%). The behaviour of drivers with cardiovascular disorders (test group) and healthy drivers (control group) in the traffic was followed up in the five-year period. All traffic accidents caused by them were noted. Control and test groups were similar regarding the other factors that could have caused traffic accidents. We have observed that the drivers from the test group had caused traffic accidents more frequently and in average had significantly higher number of traffic accidents compared to the drivers in the control group. Drivers from the test group had longer reaction time to acoustic and visual stimulation, respectively, that could be the explanation for more frequent accidents. Results of this study suggest the need for better supervision of the drivers and the improvement of the regulations of the health conditions that must be fulfilled.