However, some predictions indicated that traffic accidents as a cause of death will move on the sixth place and in terms of disability-adjusted life years’ (DALYs) and years of life lost (YLL) will be on the third and second place respectively by the year 2020. An important factor, which should be considered in road traffic accident fatality analysis, is poor infrastructure in developing countries in the form of bad roads and inadequate access to healthcare.Ĭurrently, among the 100 important causes of death, traffic accidents are situated on the ninth position. In addition, according to the report of the International Commission on Illumination, installation of road lighting is expected to reduce nighttime injury accidents to 30 percent.
The consumption of drugs and alcohol is also associated with serious car accidents. A study in Greece showed that police enforcements could play an important role in the rate of road accidents. Another study revealed that speed cameras have a significant effect on reducing accidents up to 200 meters from the camera sites. For example, a study reported that the separation and divorce are associated with a 2.9 fold increase in serious injury road traffic risk. While the WHO reported five factors including drinking and driving, speeding, and failing to use motorcycle helmets, seat-belts, and child restraints as the key risk factors of road traffic accidents, there are many elements that should be considered in road traffic accident analysis. This fact emphasized on the multifactor nature of the accident causes, which should be considered by researchers and experts in the accident analysis and causation. Although some researchers have reported an enormous growth in the number of motor vehicles as a main cause of accidents, surprisingly 97% of the road accidents occur in developing countries, which have only 48% of vehicles. According to the global status report on road safety in 2013, by WHO, the total number of road traffic deaths around the world remained unacceptably high at 1.24 million per year.
Road traffic accidents including city car traffic accidents and intercity car traffic accidents (ICTAs) are among the most important causes of morbidity and mortality, due to the growing number of vehicles, risky behaviors, and changes in lifestyle of the general population. Since an increasing amount of money was being paid yearly for the car accidents, which were in their nature preventable, the key players in road safety including governments, car manufacturers, and road developers were recommended to use GIS based accident data for a more efficient planning and budgeting towards the intercity car accidents reduction. The compensation cost of fatal ICTAs also showed an increasing trend during the studied period. The least incidence of fatal ICTAs was in Tehran province (IR=2.4) followed by Khozestan (IR=6.5), and Eastern Azarbayejan (IR=6.6). The highest incidence of fatal ICTAs was in Semnan province (IR= 35.2), followed by North Khorasan (IR=22.7), and South Khorasan (IR=22). GIS based data showed that the incidence rate of ICTAs in different provinces of Iran was very divergent.
The incidence of fatal intercity car accidents has changed from six in 100000 population in 1996 to 18 in 100000 population in 2012. The number of fatal car accidents showed a general increasing trend from 3000 in 1996 to 13500 in 2012.
Figures and maps indicating the trends and geographical distribution of fatal ICTAs were prepared while using Microsoft Excel and ArcGis9.2 software. The incidence rate (IR) of fatal ICTAs for each year was calculated as the total number of fatal ICTAs in every 100000 population in specified time intervals. The obtained data were for 17 complete Iranian calendar years from March 1997 to March 2012. To conduct this descriptive study, all Iranian intercity road traffic mortality data were obtained from the Police reports in the Statistical Yearbook of the Governor’s Budget and Planning. This study was conducted to investigate the geographical distribution and the time trend of fatal intercity car traffic accidents in Iran. A sound knowledge of the geographical distribution of car traffic accidents can be considered as an approach towards the accident causation and it can be used as an administrative tool in allocating the sources for traffic accidents prevention. Road traffic accidents including intercity car traffic accidents (ICTAs) are among the most important causes of morbidity and mortality due to the growing number of vehicles, risky behaviors, and changes in lifestyle of the general population.
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