Epidemiology of fatal road traffic accidents in Northern provinces of Iran during 2009 to 2010

Abstract

Background and Objective: Northern provinces of Iran (Guilan, Golestan and Mazandaran) are among the most accident prone area of the country as they attract many tourists for their geographical and natural wonders. This study was carried out to assess the epidemiological pattern of fatal traffic accidents in Northern provinces of Iran. Materials and Methods: We used data gathered by Forensic Medicine Organization for those who had a fatal traffic accident in Northern provinces of Iran in 2010. Analysis was performed using STATA 11. Means and proportions were used as descriptive measures. Association between categorical variables was assessed using Chi square test and Kruskal Wallis test was used for means comparison. Results: The age-adjusted incidence rate of fatal traffic accident was 33.4/100000 and mean of age was 39.45±0.43. Men contributed to 80.15% of deaths and drivers made 44.66% of them. In 48.92% of cases the main cause of death was head injury. Intercity travels composed 63.26% of deaths. There was a significant relationship between the type of the vehicle and the length of time between accident and death. Conclusion: Risk of fatal traffic accident in northern area of Iran is higher than the total country average. The fact that young people make a high proportion of traffic deaths and head injuries is an important cause of death need to be put in perspective to improve the driving education system and safety of cars and roads and also to enforce the related laws and regulations.