Road Traffic Accidents in Tunisia: A Man Made Disaster

Road traffic accidents in Tunisia:
a man made disaster
Pr Hassen Ghannem
Department of Epidemiology
University Hospital Farhat Hached Sousse,
Tunisia
Disaster
Webster’s Dictionary defines disaster as
a baleful or fatal event leading to ruin.
•Family
•Country
What’s more disastrous for someone than

the death of a relative following a road
traffic accident.
INTRODUCTION
 Injuries account for 12% of the global
burden of disease (1, 2)
 Traffic accidents are costing countries
between 1% to 2 % of their gross
national product
 Traffic accidents are a major
preventable public health problem
 About 1,2 millions persons were killed
and 50 millions were injured,
worldwide, in 2002.
DESCRIPTIVE EPIDEMIOLOGY
Figure 2 : Road traffic injury mortality rates in

the different regions of the world (1)
Worldwide
 Road traffic injuries mortality rates :
* 1,2 millions persons killed every year
* 3242 persons killed every day
* Traffic accidents : 11th cause of death
* Developing countries:
- 2/3 of the world population
- 90% of deaths due to road crashes
Worldwide
 Road traffic injury mortality rates :
* Increase in the mortality rates of 10% between 1990 and 2002 (1)
* Differences between developped and developing countries
Figure 3 :
Changes in road
crashes mortality
rates according
to countries (1)
In Tunisia
During the period 1996-1998 (3):

- 32 197 accidents, with 14,9 deaths per
100 accidents
- an average traffic accidents incidence :
116,3 / 100 000 inhabitants / year
- an average mortality rate :
14,2 deaths / 100 000 inhabitants / year
- 5,9 persons killed per 100 humans implied
- the average age of the persons who were implied
in the accidents : 33,6 years
- About 61,7 % of drivers were aged 20-40 years;
21 times more males than females among drivers
- Pedestrians were the most vulnerable and the most
severely injured.
RISK FACTORS
The risk depends on four elements :

 A) Exposure excess (need to travel)
 B) Risk of crash, given a particular exposure,
 C) Risk of injury, given a crash,
 D) Risk of death or severe consequences,

given an injury.
PREVENTION

 Taffic accidents are preventable.
 The three targets of the road safety actions :
- the road users
- the vehicles
- the roads infrastructure as well as the
traffic management.

PREVENTION
A- A scientific approach to the issue is necessary :
Many conditions are required to guarantee the efficiency of
the prevention strategies which are adopted.
 To collect, analyse and carefully interpret reliable data
: The National Traffic Observatory in Tunisia was
established to fulfill theses missions.
 To define objectives.
 To promote research, which subjects are concerned
with road safety.
 To encourage the cooperation between different
organizations intervening in traffic accidents
prevention (NETWORKING).
B-
The key
organizations
intervening in
the prevention
strategies :
Figure 7 : Organizations intervening

in road safety actions(1)
C- Prevention measures :
Prevention strategies are made of interventions

which are aiming to :
 diminish the exposure risk.

 avoid road crashes, given a particular
exposure.
 reduce the severity of injuries caused by
crashes
 improve the medical care for victims.
Measures avoiding road crashes, given an
exposure
 Speed limitation
 Measures against « alcohol and driving »
 Measures avoiding the drivers fatigue :
 Measures ensuring pedestrian and cyclists safety
 Prevention of traffic accidents implying young
drivers
 The prohibition of the use of hand-held mobile
telephones while driving
 More road visibility
Measures reducing the severity of injuries
caused by crashes :
a – The use of seat-belts
 When used, the seat-belt reduce the risk of
fatal or severe accident, between 40% and 65
% (1).
 Making the wearing of safety belts compulsory
improves their use rates.
b- Use of helmets
c- Availability of air bags

Actions improving post-crash injury outcome
- pre-hospital mesures :
* Bystanders : call for help, carry out simple acts to
rescue victims, protect victims from
an other accident
* Larger access to emergency services
* Better pre-hospital medical care
- actions in the hospital :

CONCLUSION
Traffic accidents constitute a huge
public health problem: a man made
disaster.
The situation is going to be worse
unless prevention strategies are
adopted.
There is a hope to avoid such losses of
lives, of health and of money by setting
road safety actions.
A scientific approach to the issue is
essential in every country, so that road
safety policies could be founded on
reliable data, and meeting financial
resources of each region.
REFERENCES
1- World report on road traffic injury prevention.
Geneva (Switzerland), World health
organization, 2004.
(http:/www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention )
2- Bovet B. Health transition and emerging
cardiovascular disease in developing countries :
situation and strategies for prevention, Super
course.
3- Henchir N. Epidemiology of traffic accidents in
Tunisia [thesis]. Sousse : Medicine
Faculty of Sousse 2001.
THANK YOU

Road Traffic Accidents in Tunisia: A Man Made Disaster

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Road traffic accidents in Tunisia:

a man made disaster

What’s more disastrous for someone than

Figure 2 : Road traffic injury mortality rates in

During the period 1996-1998 (3):

The risk depends on four elements :

 B) Risk of crash, given a particular exposure,

 C) Risk of injury, given a crash,

 D) Risk of death or severe consequences,

Figure 7 : Organizations intervening

Prevention strategies are made of interventions

 diminish the exposure risk.

c- Availability of air bags

- actions in the hospital :

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