Mortality due to traffic incidents in the department of Antioquia, Colombia in 2016 and 2017. Epidemiological characteristics

Abstract

Introduction: In Colombia, road incidents (RI) are considered the second cause of violent death, with 6 574 cases in 2017, and in Antioquia there were 1 047 in this same year. Mortality in low- income countries is three times higher than in high - income countries. Objective: To analyze mortality rates in Antioquia- Colombia due to traffic incidents (TI) between 2016 and 2017, according to the region and place of occurrence, sociodemographic characteristics, characteristics of the events, temporal distribution and compromised body area. Methods: Descriptive, cross-sectional, and retrospective design; based on autopsies and forensic records of the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences (INMLCF) of Antioquia. Results: In Antioquia in 2017, 1,047 deaths from TI were registered with a decrease of 10.1% compared to 2016. 67% occurred in urban areas, more than 80% were men, 39% occurred in people between 29 to 40 years of age, 21.7% in those over 60 years of age. Motorcycles were involved in 73.3% (2016) and 75.8% (2017) of deaths in TI, followed by the bicycle with 7.5% and the car with 4.5%. Conclusion: RI have been an epidemic since 2004. Incidents derived from motorcycles are a priority for regional and national authorities to pay greater attention and allocate sufficient resources to implement good practices in road safety and policies.

Keywords

• accidents traffic
• epidemiological monitoring
• mortality
• motorcycles