Childhood pedestrian injuries in the Perth metropolitan area

Abstract

To examine the characteristics of childhood pedestrian injuries in the Perth metropolitan area from 1980 to 1989. Retrospective descriptive study. Perth metropolitan area, Western Australia. Child pedestrians aged 0 to 14 years who were injured during the period 1 January 1980 to 31 December 1989. An extensive database which reported fatal and non-fatal motor vehicle collisions was used to obtain details on the child pedestrian, the vehicle involved in the collision, and the environmental factors related to these injuries. A total of 1282 child pedestrian injuries were reported in the 10 year period. Children aged between 5 and 9 years, and were overrepresented among those injured. This study also demonstrated a similar proportion of injuries involving the 10-14 year age group. Injuries frequently occurred mid block, on local urban roads, between the hours of 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., and a greater than expected proportion of drivers involved in these collisions were in the under-21 age category. To describe the pattern of childhood pedestrian injuries we calculated both age-specific injury rates, and injury rates based on the number of registered motor vehicles. The latter revealed a greater than 20-fold variation between local government areas. Further analytical research, incorporating a measure of the child pedestrian's exposure to roads and traffic is required to identify those features in the individual and the environment which have a significant influence on the likelihood of a collision. Such research is required to institute effective preventive measures.