Article Text
Abstract
Background Road Traffic Injuries (RTIs) are one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide and the leading cause of death for young people aged 15–29 years. Mortality rate of road traffic accidents (RTA) and road injuries in Georgia are two times higher than the European average rate. RTIs surveillance is recommended to define the burden, to identify high risk groups and to plan intervention monitor their impact. The objective of this study was to show the necessity of integrated RTA and victim information system and provide recommendations for prevention.
Methods Descriptive epidemiological study has been conducted. Three national-level of RTA cases data sources were reviewed and compared for the year of 2014: Police records, hospitalised patients due to road accidents from National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), road traffic fatalities from the State Statistics Department (SSD).
Results A total 5992 of RTA, 8536 of victim and 511 deaths were recorded at the Police Department. According to NCDC data 3033 patients were hospitalised due to RTA, 35% of them were age of 15–29, 46% - pedestrians, 20% - passengers of light vehicles cars and 6% - cyclists. SSD data are based on police data and matched with them.
Conclusion This study results revealed that the data from all organisations are incomplete. NCDC has incomplete records on RTIs and deaths, because hospitals lack of data about the location or crash causes and lack of coordination between different reporting entities. Incorrect coding of a death by SSD is one of the reasons of mortality structural confusion and incomplete data. Police data seem to provide more accurate information than others, but they do not follow up outcomes and data were underestimating.
It is necessary to establish multidisciplinary data collection system of national RTA with the collaboration of Police, NCDC, and SSD, but these data must be properly coded. Reliable and accurate data guarantee developing and implementing injury prevention and control programs.
- Road
- Traffic
- accidents
- surveillance