Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

OBJECTIVE: To compare trends in the numbers of people with serious traffic injuries according to police statistics and hospital episode statistics (HES). DESIGN: Descriptive study based on two independent population based data sources. SETTING: Police statistics and hospital episode statistics in England. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rates of injury and death and their change over time reported in each data source, for 1996 to 2004. RESULTS: According to police statistics, rates of people killed or seriously injured on the roads fell consistently from 85.9 per 100,000 in 1996 to 59.4 per 100,000 in 2004. Over the same time, however, hospital admission rates for traffic injuries were almost unchanged at 90.0 in 1996 and 91.1 in 2004. Both datasets showed a significant reduction in rates of injury in children aged < or = 15, but the reduction in hospital admission rates was substantially less than the reduction shown in the police statistics. The definition of serious injury in police statistics includes every hospital admission; in each year, none the less, the number of admissions exceeded the number of injuries reported in the police system. CONCLUSIONS: The overall fall seen in police statistics for non-fatal road traffic injuries probably represents a fall in completeness of reporting of these injuries.

Original publication

DOI

10.1136/bmj.38883.593831.4F

Type

Journal article

Journal

BMJ

Publication Date

08/07/2006

Volume

333

Keywords

Accidents, Traffic, Adult, Child, England, Hospitalization, Humans, Police, Safety, Wounds and Injuries