[Differences in mobility, traffic accidents and associated circumstances in guatemalan and spanish university students].

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to compare the frequency of involvement in risky driving circumstances between Guatemalan and Spanish university students and identify in both populations the differences between the involvement in such circumstances and road crashes. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cross sectional study was conducted during the academic courses 2007 to 2011 on a sample of 2 130 drivers (1 016 in Guatemala and 1 114 in Spain), who completed a self-administered questionnaire that assessed: mobility patterns, use of safety devices, driving styles and involvement in road traffic crashes. RESULTS Furthermore, they were involved more frequently in almost all the risky-driving circumstances compared with Spanish students, principally in: mobile use (74.4 % versus 24.3 %), distraction (47.1 % versus 18.8 %) or not using seatbelt (23.9% vs 5.9). Finally, the adjusted analysis yields an accident rate 4.8 times higher among Guatemalans (CI 95% 3.1-7.4). CONCLUSIONS Considering the factors more frequently associated with suffer road traffic crashes dependent on human factor, it is noted physical and social factors as well as that the car-dependent issues, must play an important role in the marked differences detected in both populations.