[Are accidents accidental? Prevention of injuries in children and adolescents].

This paper reviews the preventive strategies that have been used in different regions and countries to reduce the morbidity and mortality linked with injuries in children and adolescents. It is confined to programmes and initiatives of different kinds that have been evaluated. Strategies can concentrate on the circumstances leading to an accident, or on reducing the consequences of injury. They can be passive (window gates, speed limits, drug packaging) or active (use of helmets, training of young drivers). They can be specific (focusing on falls or burns) or non-specific (promoting low-risk behaviour in young people). In each case prevention must allow for the developmental stage of the target population, and be conceived and implemented through multidisciplinary approaches. It should be developed at national as well as regional and local levels. Finally, improvements must be made to the means of evaluating prevention strategies.