Background Road accidents are an important cause of mortality in big cities in Brazil mainly in metropolitan areas like Curitiba.

Aims/Objectives/Purpose This study aims to analyse epidemiological characteristics of victims and traffic accidents and identify space distribution of traffic accident's occurrences.

Methods The analysis of traffic accident's space distribution (georeferencial) was accomplished to enlarge the knowledge of occurrence standard's and its distribution regularity related to each Regional Administrative Office, neighbourhood and streets of Curitiba. An index of accidents by population and an index of accidents by demographic density were generated to determine criteria risk of accidents in each neighbourhood and allowing comparability. To characterise victims and accidents, a descriptive and analytical epidemiological study was accomplished, based on an institutional secondary data base evaluation supplied by Epidemiology Centre of Curitiba's Municipal Health Office.

Results/Outcomes The main findings reaffirm accident's predominance in the male young adult gender, but for each age group and each type of traffic user (pedestrian, cyclist, motorcyclist, driver, passenger) there are specificities which contribute to determine the risk of suffering a traffic accident and they need differentiated specific intervention strategies to become efficient. It's necessary to establish partnership with traffic related parts, registration standards, interaction among institutions which compose the system and to develop analyses and evaluation methodologies of generated data.

Significance/Contribution to the Field This work supplies elements to the construction of a reliable information system which gives subsides to elaborate prevention and intervention actions, allowing better orientation of public policies of the sector.