[Comparative analysis of traffic accident fatalities in autopsy material of 1970-1986 and 1987-2006 collected at the Departament of Forensic Medicine Medical University of Białystok].

UNLABELLED

INTRODUCTION, MATERIAL AND METHODS: The objective of the paper was a comparative analysis of traffic accident fatalities in autopsy material collected in the years 1970-1986 and 1987-2006 at the Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Białystok (624 and 1463 cases, respectively). Based on autopsy reports, main criteria included gender, site of death (urban area, rural area, non-built-up), mode of movement (driver, passenger, pedestrian, biker and cyclist), age, localisation of fatal injuries (head, thorax, abdomen and pelvis, upper and lower limbs, multiorgan injuries) and blood alcohol level. The collected data were analysed statistically according to the criteria applied and presented as text and graphs.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

The number of traffic accidents increased by 4% in the years 1987-2006 when compared to period of 1970-1986. The percentage male mortality increased 72-77%. Pedestrians predominated as traffic accident fatalities in Podlasie, with mortality rate slowly decreasing 47-42%. In the years 1987-2006 mortality rate among drivers and bikers/motorbikes increased by 7% and decreased by 3%, respectively. Number of fatalities among passengers remained on constant level. Regardless of time period fatal cases were predominant in non-built-up area. Localisation of fatal injuries in respective groups appears invariable excluding pedestrian cases, where multiorgan rather, than head and neck injuries prevail. Mean age of traffic accident fatalities decreased by 3 years in the period of 1987-2006, predominantly due to the increasing number of fatal cases among young males. Mean blood alcohol level of traffic accident victims in the years 1987-2006 increased by 0.5 promille and 0.2 promille in males and in females, respectively.