Road traffic mortality in Estonia: Alcohol as the main contributing factor

Macroeconomic changes and educational inequalities in traffic fatalities in the Baltic countries and Finland in 2000-2015: a register-based study

This study examined trends and inequalities in road traffic accident (RTA) mortality in the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) and Finland in relation to large-scale macroeconomic changes in the 2000s. Educational inequalities in RTA mortality in 2000-2003, 2004-2007, 2008-2011 and 2012-2015 among 30-74 year olds were examined using census-linked longitudinal mortality data and by estimating the relative and slope index of inequality. Overall RTA mortality decreased substantially between 2000-2003 and 2012-2015. From 2004-2007 to 2008-2011, the RTA mortality decline accelerated but was larger in the Baltic countries. Among men the RTA mortality decline was mostly driven by a larger fall among the high and middle educated. Among women, the changes in RTA mortality by educational level had no clear pattern. From 2000-2003 to 2012-2015 relative educational inequalities in RTA mortality increased among men, although more in the Baltic countries. Among women the pattern was mixed across countries. Absolute inequalities fell in all countries among both sexes. Educational inequalities in male RTA mortality may be growing because of increasingly less access to safer cars and a more hazardous driving culture among the lower educated.

Ethanol-related death in Ga-Rankuwa road-users, South Africa: A five-year analysis

Ethanol and road traffic fatalities are a public health concern. The purpose of this study was to examine blood alcohol concentrations in different road-users in the jurisdiction of Ga-Rankuwa, South Africa according to epidemiological variables. A retrospective descriptive study involving 672 road-users over 5 years was done. Drivers presented the largest proportion of victims with positive blood alcohol concentrations, followed by pedestrians and motorcyclists with a great proportion of road-users showing levels above 0.05 g/100 ml. The majority of victims were adult males. Among the female victims, drivers and pedestrians had relatively high blood alcohol concentrations. The majority of fatalities occurred at night, during weekends, and in the spring with August being the month with the most fatalities. The most common injuries were external injuries and injury to the head and chest. Cause of death, irrespective of blood alcohol concentrations, was multiple injuries. The results showed that ethanol was associated with road traffic fatalities in Ga-Rankuwa.

The road traffic crashes as a neglected public health concern; an observational study from Iranian population

OBJECTIVE

Traffic crashes are multifactorial events caused by human factors, technical issues, and environmental conditions. The present study aimed to determine the role of human factors in traffic crashes in Iran using the proportional odds regression model.

METHODS

The database of all traffic crashes in Iran in 2010 (n = 592, 168) registered through the "COM.114" police forms was investigated. Human risk factors leading to traffic crashes were determined and the odds ratio (OR) of each risk factor was estimated using an ordinal regression model and adjusted for potential confounding factors such as age, gender, and lighting status within and outside of cities.

RESULTS

The drivers' mean age ± standard deviation was 34.1 ± 14.0 years. The most prevalent risk factors leading to death within cities were disregarding traffic rules and regulations (45%), driver rushing (31%), and alcohol consumption (12.3%). Using the proportional odds regression model, alcohol consumption was the most significant human risk factor in traffic crashes within cities (OR = 6.5, 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.88-8.65) and outside of cities (OR = 1.73, 95% CI, 1.22-3.29).

CONCLUSIONS

Public health strategies and preventive policies should be focused on more common human risk factors such as disregarding traffic rules and regulations, drivers' rushing, and alcohol consumption due to their greater population attributable fraction and more intuitive impacts on society.