273 Does Speed Camera’s System Reduce the Number of Motor Vehicle Crashes and Severity of Injuries: Trauma Center 4 Years Experience

Abstract

To assess the efficacy of speed camera systems in reducing the numbers of crashes and severity of injuries resulting from road traffic accidents. A retrospective cohort study included all consecutive patients involved in motor vehicle crashes (MVC) presented to the emergency departments of a trauma center in Khober, Saudi Arabia, from December 2008 to December 2012. The primary outcome measure was the reduction in number of crashes per year. Secondary outcome was the number of serious injury, as measured by an injury severity score (ISS).We compared demographic data (age, sex), presenting vital signs, initial Glasgow coma score (GCS), ISS, and the number of crashes before and after the start of speed camera system (January 2011). Before and after group differences were tested by using the chi-square test for categorical variables and the Student's t test for continuous variables. During the study period, a total of 306 patients were identified. More men were involved in car accidents in both periods before and after speed camera system implementation 92% and 70% with a mean age of 25.9 and 27.3 respectively. The significant difference found in the number of accidents before and after period with 75 accidents per year compared to 41 per year, P=.0001. The mean of ISS was found between 16 and 30 with statistically significant results found higher score before speed camera system compared to the after period, P=0.021. Speed camera system is a traffic control system that might lead to decrease number of car accidents and decrease severity of injury of involved victims after its implementation.