Road traffic injuries in the province of Grosseto.

INTRODUCTION Road traffic injuries constitute a major public health issue. The Province of Grosseto is one of the territories most affected in the Region of Tuscany. The objective of the study, part of the Road Safety Provincial Council's project, is to describe the epidemiology of the road accidents in order to contribute to the reduction of the burden of deaths and injuries. METHODS The data relative to road accidents occurring in the Province were drawn from the various sources available: Death Certificates (1991-2005), Police Reports (1991-2003), Hospital Discharge Records (1996-2005), Emergency Room visits (2004-2005). RESULTS On average, each year road accidents cause 30 deaths, at least 530 hospitalizations, and approximately 3,300 Emergency Room visits. The standardized mortality rate (2003-2005, males: 20.6; females: 6.0), the mortality ratio (2003:34.6 deaths for every 1,000 accidents), and the severity ratio (2003: 1,432 injured for every 1,000 accidents) are higher than regional figures. DISCUSSION The greater relative number of fatalities, casualties and crashes can be explained by various physical and social environmental factors such as vast flatland, few greater urban settlements, deprived area. The territory specifically demonstrates an accentuated seasonality in August, a month in which a peak in both the number of accidents and their severity is reported, brought about by the intense volume of commuter and transit traffic, and highlighted by the fact that in that same month approximately half of Emergency Room visits concern non-residents. CONCLUSION The complexity of the issue, the number of determinant factors involved, and the disproportionately greater impact on the more disadvantaged and vulnerable segments of society require the development of inter-sectoral strategies and the sharing of responsibility among individuals, groups and communities.