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Suicide and murder-suicide involving automobiles
Saxby Pridmore1, Svetlin Varbanov2, Ian Sale3
1Discipline of Psychiatry, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.
Objective:
We aim to explore the phenomenon of suicide by driving one vehicle into another, and draw attention to the cost to occupants of targeted vehicles.
Method:
We examined academic literature, court and newspaper reports, and online sources.
Results:
Driver suicide may be achieved by colliding with a fixed object or another vehicle. When a second vehicle is targeted, the occupants of that vehicle experience property loss, and potentially physical and psychiatric injury, or death. Driver suicides are associated with death of another person, in 11.3% of cases. Some suicidal individuals are able to act with great consideration for the consequences of their actions.
Conclusion:
Every effort must be made to help suicidal people with mental disorders or other predicaments. There is a need for public discussion of suicide by targeting an oncoming vehicle. It is less likely that suicide drivers who target other vehicles are unable to choose and more likely they have not considered the consequences of their actions.