Road traffic injuries, mobility and gender. Patterns of risk in Southern Europe

Background The identification of risk groups for road traffic injuries (RTI) is essential for effective prevention strategies. This information is still limited in several geographical areas. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of RTI according to gender, age, mode of transport, type of journey and injury severity in a Southern European region. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted during the period from January 2008 to December 2013 in Andalusia (South of Spain). We estimated the specific morbidity rates by gender, mode of transport and age. The relative risk assessment was performed by Poisson regression models adjusted by gender, age, type of journey, injury severity and mode of transport. The measure of exposure was person − hours travelled. Results Except for pedestrians, the highest RTI rates were found in women. This pattern was still fulfilled in minor injuries. In serious and fatal injuries, the trend was reversed with the risk of increased RTI in men. The most hazardous mode of transport was motorcycles, while public transport was the safest. Injury severity was positively associated with age for all modes of transport, except motorcycles where the opposite was the case. Finally, the risk of serious or fatal injury was greater in long-distance trips. Conclusions In our Southern European region, preventive strategies should be targeted in men, young and older people, motorcycles and long-distance drivers, as they present a higher risk of serious and fatal injuries.