The problems in determining international road mortality.

We examined road traffic crash (RTC) fatality rate data for the year 2002 with the object of determining which data source offered the most reliable estimates for international comparison work. Data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) (supplied by national health authorities) and the International Road Federation (IRF) (supplied by national transport authorities) was compared. There were large discrepancies between the rates reported. Discrepancies may be partially explained by the under-reporting of fatalities and by different definitions of road fatality. Two methodologies to adjust for these factors in the IRF database were examined. Neither brought consensus with the WHO RTC fatality rate for all nations. While the WHO provide RTC fatality rates for a wider socio-economic and geographical range of nations than the IRF, the methodology used by the WHO to produce estimates for the least economically developed nations may lead to over-estimation of RTC fatality rate. WHO RTC fatality rates were more strongly associated with variables that are thought to explain RTC fatality rate. We suggest that WHO data may be more suitable than the IRF data for international comparison studies. However, it is advisable that data for the least developed nations be excluded from such work.

[1]  C. Mock,et al.  Using mortuary statistics in the development of an injury surveillance system in Ghana. , 2002, Bulletin of the World Health Organization.

[2]  D. Bishai,et al.  National road casualties and economic development. , 2006, Health economics.

[3]  Gary King,et al.  A Statistical Model for Multiparty Electoral Data , 1999, American Political Science Review.

[4]  Margaret M. Peden,et al.  World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention , 2004 .

[5]  Debbie Bradshaw,et al.  Initial burden of disease estimates for South Africa, 2000. , 2003, South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde.

[6]  S M Andrade,et al.  [Road accidents in a city in southern Brazil]. , 2001, Revista de saude publica.

[7]  Alan D. Lopez,et al.  Alternative projections of mortality and disability by cause 1990–2020: Global Burden of Disease Study , 1997, The Lancet.

[8]  J. Mackenbach,et al.  Economic development and traffic accident mortality in the industrialized world, 1962-1990. , 2000, International journal of epidemiology.

[9]  Alexander C. Wagenaar,et al.  Effects of macroeconomic conditions on the incidence of motor vehicle accidents , 1984 .

[10]  Christopher J. Ruhm,et al.  Deaths Rise in Good Economic Times: Evidence From the OECD (with Ulf-G. Gerdtham). , 2006 .

[11]  Michael Sivak,et al.  Characteristics and availability of fatal road-crash databases in 20 countries worldwide. , 2007, Journal of safety research.

[12]  Y Page,et al.  A statistical model to compare road mortality in OECD countries. , 2001, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[13]  Teik Hua Law,et al.  Factors associated with the relationship between motorcycle deaths and economic growth. , 2009, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[14]  Matthijs J. Koornstra.  Prediction of traffic fatalities and prospects for mobility becoming sustainable-safe , 2007 .

[15]  A. Zwi,et al.  Traffic-related mortality in industrialized and less developed countries. , 1995, Bulletin of the World Health Organization.

[16]  G D Jacobs,et al.  Further research on accident rates in developing countries. , 1986, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[17]  A. Aeron-Thomas,et al.  ESTIMATING GLOBAL ROAD FATALITIES , 2000 .

[18]  R. Sauerborn,et al.  Measuring the local burden of disease. A study of years of life lost in sub-Saharan Africa. , 2001, International journal of epidemiology.

[19]  A. Hyder,et al.  Review Article: Road traffic injuries in India: A review of the literature , 2006, Scandinavian journal of public health.

[20]  F P Rivara,et al.  Epidemiology of transport-related injuries in Ghana. , 1999, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[21]  Yongli Xi,et al.  Economic development's effect on road transport-related mortality among different types of road users: a cross-sectional international study. , 2007, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[22]  Ameen JRM,et al.  Causal models for road accident fatalities in Yemen. , 2001, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[23]  A. Shaheen,et al.  Completeness of adult death registration in Sudan in 2002 , 2007 .

[24]  F. Racioppi,et al.  Preventing road traffic injury : a public health perspective for Europe , 2004 .

[25]  M. Cropper,et al.  Traffic Fatalities and Economic Growth , 2003, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[26]  Ali Montazeri,et al.  Road-traffic-related mortality in Iran: a descriptive study. , 2004, Public health.

[27]  P. Scuffham,et al.  Economic factors and traffic crashes in New Zealand , 2003 .

[28]  Samath D Dharmaratne,et al.  Road traffic injuries in Sri Lanka: a call to action. , 2004, Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons--Pakistan : JCPSP.

[29]  J. Razzak,et al.  Estimating deaths and injuries due to road traffic accidents in Karachi, Pakistan, through the capture-recapture method. , 1998, International journal of epidemiology.

[30]  R. Cooper,et al.  Disease burden in sub-Saharan Africa: what should we conclude in the absence of data? , 1998, The Lancet.

[31]  Frank A. Haight.  Why the per capita traffic fatality rate is falling , 1984 .

[32]  Rakhi Dandona,et al.  Deaths due to road traffic crashed in Hyderabad city in India: need for strengthening surveillance. , 2004, The National medical journal of India.

[33]  Rokho Kim,et al.  Defining a common set of indicators to monitor road accidents in the European Union , 2006, BMC public health.

[34]  Vojtech Eksler,et al.  ROAD MORTALITY IN EUROPE – How Sensitive Is It to Demographic Structure and Population Dynamics? – , 2007 .

[35]  Robert B Noland,et al.  Medical treatment and traffic fatality reductions in industrialized countries. , 2003, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[36]  Tami Toroyan,et al.  Global Status Report on Road Safety: Time for Action , 2009 .

[37]  S Lassarre,et al.  Analysis of progress in road safety in ten European countries. , 2001, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[38]  C J Bester,et al.  Explaining national road fatalities. , 2001, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[39]  Emmanuelle Amoros,et al.  Under-reporting of road crash casualties in France. , 2006, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[40]  K. Alberti,et al.  The importance of injury as a cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa: results of a community-based study in Tanzania. , 2001, Public health.

[41]  J. Mackenbach,et al.  Determinants of traffic accident mortality in The Netherlands: a geographical analysis. , 1991, International journal of epidemiology.