Citation

Jinadasa D, Zimmerman K, Maegga B, Guerrero A. World Transp. Policy Pract. 2013; 19(2): 58-64.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Eco-Logica)

DOI

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PMID

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Abstract

Road traffic injuries (RTIs) constitute a major public health problem. The aim of this study is to describe the characteristics of road traffic injuries on low-volume roads in a rural African setting in order to develop a comprehensive injury prevention program. Data was collected using a household survey technique along three rural roads. The sampling technique aimed to collect data on all households within 200 meters of each of the three study roads. This study found a rural road traffic injury incidence of 3.3 per 100 person years. Of 49 road traffic injury victims, 63% were in the 15 - 44 year age category and 82% were male. Over half of the injuries involved a motorcycle and a third occurred on dirt roads. The average length of disability was 24±25.9 days. These study results represent baseline data to be used in the creation of a multi-modal injury prevention program, for comparing with other studies and to serve as the first step in a formal program evaluation.