Morbidity and mortality from road injuries: results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
Authors: James Spencer L , Lucchesi Lydia R , Bisignano Catherine , Castle Chris D , Dingels Zachary V , Fox Jack T , Hamilton Erin B , Liu Zichen , McCracken Darrah , Nixon Molly R , Sylte Dillon O , Roberts Nicholas L S , Adebayo Oladimeji M , Aghamolaei Teamur , Alghnam Suliman A , Aljunid Syed Mohamed , Almasi-Hashiani Amir , Badawi Alaa , Behzadifar Masoud , Behzadifar Meysam , Bekru Eyasu Tamru , Bennett Derrick A , Chapman Jens Robert , Deribe Kebede , Duko Adema Bereket , Fatahi Yousef , Gelaw Belayneh K , Getahun Eskezyiaw Agedew , Hendrie Delia , Henok Andualem , Hidru Hagos de , Hosseinzadeh Mehdi , Hu Guoqing , Jahani Mohammad Ali , Jakovljevic Mihajlo , Jalilian Farzad , Joseph Nitin , Karami Manoochehr , Kelbore Abraham Getachew , Khan Md Nuruzzaman , Kim Yun Jin , Koul Parvaiz A , La Vecchia Carlo , Linn Shai , Majdzadeh Reza , Mehndiratta Man Mohan , Memiah Peter T N , Mengesha Melkamu Merid , Merie Hayimro Edemealem , R Miller Ted , Mirzaei-Alavijeh Mehdi , Mohammad Darwesh Aso , Mohammad Gholi Mezerji Naser , Mohammadibakhsh Roghayeh , Moodley Yoshan , Moradi-Lakeh Maziar , Musa Kamarul Imran , Nascimento Bruno Ramos , Nikbakhsh Rajan , Nyasulu Peter S , Omar Bali Ahmed , Onwujekwe Obinna E , Pati Sanghamitra , Pourmirza Kalhori Reza , Salehi Farkhonde , Shahabi Saeed , Shallo Seifadin Ahmed , Shamsizadeh Morteza , Sharafi Zeinab , Shukla Sharvari Rahul , Sobhiyeh Mohammad Reza , Soriano Joan B , Sykes Bryan L , Tabarés-Seisdedos Rafael , Tadesse Degena Bahray Bahrey , Tefera Yonatal Mesfin , Tehrani-Banihashemi Arash , Tlou Boikhutso , Topor-Madry Roman , Wiangkham Taweewat , Yaseri Mehdi , Yaya Sanni , Yenesew Muluken Azage , Younis Mustafa Z , Ziapour Arash , Zodpey Sanjay , Pigott David M , Reiner Robert C , Hay Simon I , Lopez Alan D , Mokdad Ali H 
Published: January 2020

Background

The global burden of road injuries is known to follow complex geographical, temporal and demographic patterns. While health loss from road injuries is a major topic of global importance, there has been no recent comprehensive assessment that includes estimates for every age group, sex and country over recent years.

Methods

We used results from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 study to report incidence, prevalence, years lived with disability, deaths, years of life lost and disability-adjusted life years for all locations in the GBD 2017 hierarchy from 1990 to 2017 for road injuries. Second, we measured mortality-to-incidence ratios by location. Third, we assessed the distribution of the natures of injury (eg, traumatic brain injury) that result from each road injury.

Results

Globally, 1 243 068 (95% uncertainty interval 1 191 889 to 1 276 940) people died from road injuries in 2017 out of 54 192 330 (47 381 583 to 61 645 891) new cases of road injuries. Age-standardised incidence rates of road injuries increased between 1990 and 2017, while mortality rates decreased. Regionally, age-standardised mortality rates decreased in all but two regions, South Asia and Southern Latin America, where rates did not change significantly. Nine of 21 GBD regions experienced significant increases in age-standardised incidence rates, while 10 experienced significant decreases and two experienced no significant change.

Conclusions

While road injury mortality has improved in recent decades, there are worsening rates of incidence and significant geographical heterogeneity. These findings indicate that more research is needed to better understand how road injuries can be prevented.