Epidemiology of Fatal Road Traffic Accidents in Iran, Yasouj, 2014-2015

Background: Traffic accidents are considered a major public health problem in many parts of the world. The present study aimed to investigate the epidemiology of fatal traffic accidents in Yasouj city during the years 2014-2015. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was carried out through a cross-sectional method and the study population included all individuals who had died in traffic accidents in Yasouj city during 2014-2015. The source of data collection was the Legal Medicine Organization. The data were analyzed through SPSS 16,using descriptive statistics and Chi-square test. Results: The mean age of the deceased was 35.44±20.99 years. The highest death rate was observed in the age groups over 25-34 years old (21.3%), 15-24 years (17.6%) and 35-44 years (17%), respectively. Most of the deceased were male (75%), single (55.4%), illiterate (44%), self-employed (29.3%) and residents of rural areas (52.3%). The ultimate cause of death of more than half of the deceased was head trauma (30.7%) and most of the deceased had died at the accident site (55.4%). 52.7% had died of collision with a passenger car. There was a significant association between the location of death and location of accident (outside/inside)(P=0.004); also, the result showed no significant relationship between the cause of death and location of accident (P<0.001) and type of vehicle (P<0.001). Conclusion: In conclusion, findings of this study showed that the highest mortality rate was seen among the youth age group and the male. Therefore, awareness of the laws and regulations, especially in young males, is the most important factor to reduce accidents and mortality.