Some fatal traffic accidents may be disguised suicides, says expert

A SMALL percentage of fatal road traffic accidents could be disguised suicides, research has indicated.

Dr John Connolly of the Irish Association of Suicidology (IAS) believes approximately 6% of fatal single-vehicle crashes nationwide could have been deliberately caused by drivers.

This is consistent with leading research internationally, which has indicated that between 1% and 7% of such accidents are suicides.

It has also been suggested that these are conservative estimates.

Dr Connolly, a consultant psychologist with the Western Health Board, studied several single-vehicle crashes in Mayo over a 14-year period.

There was a suspicion of suicide in six - or 4.5% - of the 134 fatalities which occurred between 1978 and 1992. Yesterday, he said that, on the balance of probability, about 6% of such fatalities nationwide were attributable to suicide.

There were 68 fatal single-vehicle accidents in Ireland in the first half of this year, which resulted in 76 people losing their lives.

If Dr Connolly’s research is accurate, it would suggest that four of these accidents were suicides.

Dr Connolly said that while the probable percentage of single-vehicle accidents which were suicides was relatively small, it was important for health workers to recognise that the phenomenon existed.

This was particularly true of single-vehicle accidents where just one occupant was involved.

“If a certain percentage of single-occupant road traffic deaths are suicides, a number of such accidents where people survive might actually have been attempted suicides,” he said.

If health care professionals were alert to this, he added, survivors could receive treatment in order to prevent them attempting suicide again.

For more information on suicide, contact the IAS on 094 925 08 58. For people feeling suicidal or concerned about someone who is, contact the Samaritans on 1850 60 90 90.