Characterization of fatal traffic accidents in the southern territory of Ciego de Ávila in the five-year period 2013-2017

Abstract

Introduction: fatal traffic accidents constitute an important chapter in legal medicine due to the connotations that emerge from them.

Objective: to characterize fatal traffic accidents in the southern territory of the Ciego de Ávila province, with the municipalities of Majagua, Ciego de Ávila, Venezuela and Baraguá.

Methods: descriptive cross-sectional study of the 137 deaths from traffic accidents that occurred in the five-year period 2013-2017. The data were obtained from the record books and files of each case.

The information was presented in summary tables with absolute and relative frequencies. The ethical precepts were fulfilled.

Results: the group between 30 and 49 years old (37,23 %), the male sex (82,48 %), the pedestrian as a user on the road (44,53 %), the traumatic injury of the higher nervous centers (45,26 %), the cause linked to the human being (94,89 %), the run over (50,36 %) and the light car (33,97 %) predominated. They were more frequent between six in the afternoon and 12 at night, on Saturdays, and in November. In just over half, the blood alcohol level was below 50 mg (51,82 %).

Conclusions: run over male adult pedestrians were the majority of fatalities. The light car, on Saturday, November and the hours between 6:00 pm and 12 at night were the main characteristics. The causes of accidents, in their majority, were linked to the human being; the blood alcohol level figures in more than half, were below the admitted range