Epidemiological characteristics of road traffic injuries in AP Vojvodina

Abstract

Traffic accidents are one of the leading epidemiological problems in developed countries as well as in developing ones. It is estimated that every day in the world 1308 person die in car accidents. Causes of traffic accidents are factors of road, vehicle and human factors, the latter one being the cause of more than 90% car accidents, isolated or linked with other factors. Data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs - Department in Novi Sad were collected for the period 1992-2001 and analyzed. All road traffic accidents were divided into those with and without injured persons. All injured were divided in three categories: slightly injured, severely injured and killed. Categorization was done by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (police). Average number of road traffic accidents in AP Vojvodina is 13,191, and 3502 with injured persons per year. Avarage incidence is 174 accidents per 100,000 population, and 301 injured per 100,000 population. Mortality rate is 30.6 per 100,000 population. Number of killed in road traffic accidents per 10,000 vehicles is 6.91. During the 1992-2001 period, morbidity and mortality rates of traffic accidents in AP Vojvodina were high. Participating of bicycle drivers, car passengers and pedestrians is higher than in developed countries. Injured persons are mostly 20-29 y.o., but rates of killed persons are the same in all age groups older than 19. Men are more in danger than women. Majority of accidents happen during the early autumn months, on Fridays and Saturdays, in early evening hours. Most persons have been injured or killed in city accidents, along Subotica-Belgrade highway. AP Vojvodina had the highest mortality rate of road traffic injuries per ten thousand vehicles in Europe -- 6.91. Effective preventive measures are needed to decrease rates of road traffic accidents.