Associated Press - November 11, 2008 5:35 PM ET

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Of all the obstacles facing soldiers when they return home from a war-zone deployment, dying in a car crash may not appear to be at the top of the list.

But a recent study by an Army medical researcher shows veterans returning from a war zone are more than 25% more likely to die in a car accident than their military counterparts who didn't see combat.

Dr. Joseph Knapik (kuh-NAP'-ick) presented his findings today during a seminar at the University of Oklahoma's College of Public Health.

Knapik analyzed the findings of a host of studies on combat veterans from Vietnam and the first Gulf War.

He says the studies show combat veterans are more likely to speed and less likely to use seat belts or wear motorcycle helmets.

Overall, combat veterans were 25% more likely to die from post-conflict, injury-related deaths than their counterparts who served in the military during the same time period but who did not see combat.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.