Relationship between Road Traffic Accidents and Drinking Habits in All 47 Prefectures of Japan

Nobuyuki Miyatake,Hiroshi Kinoshita,Naoko Tanaka,Noriko Sakano

doi:10.4236/jtts.2013.33019

Abstract

We evaluated the road traffic accidents and drinking habits in all 47 prefectures of Japanby ecological study. Data on traffic accidents were obtained from Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications,Japan. Drinking habits were also obtained from Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare and The General Insurance Association of Japan. The effect of drinking on road traffic accidents was evaluated by ecological study. Road traffic accidents were 15442.0 ± 14404.9 deaths due to road traffic accidents were 103.5 ± 57.5 and injured subjects due to road traffic accidents were 19068.3 ± 17433.6 in 2010 inall 47 prefectures of Japan. Drinking habits was significantly and negatively correlated with injured subjects due to road traffic accidents. However, road traffic accidents due to drinking was positively correlated with injured subjects due to road traffic accidents (r = 0.492, p = 0.0004). In conclusion, drinking habits and road traffic accidents due to drunk driving were closely linked to injured subjects due to road traffic accidents inJapan.

Highlights

In many countries as well as Japan, automobiles are necessary
We evaluated the road traffic accidents and drinking habits in all 47 prefectures of Japan by ecological study
We investigated the relationships between road traffic accidents parameters and drinking habits in men (Table 2)

Summary

Introduction

Road traffic accidents and its relation to death and injury have still been public health challenge in Japan. A total of 725,773 road traffic accidents and 4363 deaths was reported by Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan [1]. Reducing road traffic accidents and its related death and injury is urgently required in Japan. Many factors were thought to be associated with road traffic accidents. Drinking habits and drunk driving are thought to be closely linked to road traffic accidents and many health related problems, and men with drinking habits are reported to be 35.4% in Japan [3].

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Conclusion