Epidemiology of Urban Traffic Accidents: A Study on the Victims’ Health Records in Iran

INTRODUCTION: Several studies have been carried out in the field of traffic collisions in Iran. However, few studies have used the victims’ medical records as a source of information. This study aimed to use the data collected from the medical records and a geographic information system to show the epidemiology of urban traffic collisions to be used in injury prevention strategies.

METHODS: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study which was completed in 2013. The sample consisted of 1240 medical records of the people injured in the urban traffic collisions in the capital city of Iran between October 2010 and April 2011. Data were analyzed by using SPSS 18.0 and ARC GIS 10.0.

RESULTS: According to the results, motorcyclists were the main group of victims, and most collisions occurred in the afternoon between 12:00 and 18:00 pm. Moreover, the findings showed that the frequency of collisions was higher in District five (16.7%), District six (13.7%), and District 12 (8.3%) of the city.

CONCLUSION: In most traffic collisions, motorcyclists were involved and victims mainly suffered from injuries in the lower limbs. Therefore, training in the use of safety equipment, setting collision prevention strategies, and controlling the risky behavior of motorcyclists may help to reduce the number of collisions.