Background
Motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) continue to account for a third of service member fatalities
each year. Sociodemographic factors associated with MVCs among service members have
been evaluated, but whether deployment-specific experiences during the recent operations
are associated with a higher risk of MVCs is unclear.
Purpose
Evaluate if military members with specific deployment experiences are at an increased
risk of MVCs, while taking into account several potential confounders.
Methods
Millennium Cohort Study participants who enrolled during 2001–2006 and were on active-duty
service were evaluated. The Military Health System Data Repository (MDR) was used
to investigate MVC-related injuries occurring 6 months postdeployment in relation
to service-related factors, while adjusting for demographic, behavioral, and mental
and physical health factors. Analysis conducted in 2012 used Cox proportional hazards
modeling.
Results
There were 13,620 deployed personnel included in this study. After adjusting for covariates,
deployers with combat experiences (hazard ratio [HR]=1.86, 95% CI=1.33, 2.62) and
those with more than one deployment (two deployments, HR=1.93, 95% CI=1.32, 2.83;
three or more deployments, HR=2.83, 95% CI=1.71, 4.67) had an increased risk for an
MVC within 6 months postdeployment. Enlisted rank and non-Hispanic black race/ethnicity
were also associated with increased risk for MVCs.
Conclusion
Experiencing combat during deployment and multiple deployments are both strong predictors
for MVCs within 6 months of returning home among U.S. military members. These data
provide critical information for targeting prevention strategies to decrease MVCs
among personnel postdeployment.
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