Análise da distribuição espacial de acidentes de trânsito fatais com jovens em um Município da Região Sul do Brasil

Abstract

To analyze the epidemiologic profile of fatal young victims ranging from 18and 29 years old, and the spatial distribution of traffic accidents in the urban area of Maringá,a city from the Paraná State, in the period from 2005 to 2010. This is a retrospective, transversal and descriptive study based on secondary data. It included young people from 18 to 29 years old, which were the fatal victims of traffic accidents in the urban area of Maringá-PR from 2005 to 2010. The data was collected by means of the General Occurrence Reports (RGO) by the 5th Fire Station (GB), and from the Military Police (PM) and compared with the death records retrieved from the City Health Secretary (SMS). Afterwards these data were input, coded and analyzed with Excel 2007 software. In order to accomplish with the descriptive analysis of the charts, a chi-squared test was performed by using the R2.12.1 software. The spatial analysis required the production of maps through the Kernel Intensity Estimation by the TerraView software. The results showed a total of 139 deaths in the period observed with prevalence of males and motorcyclists, with 118 (84.8%) deaths. The predominant age group was between 18 to 23 years old with 54 (67.5%) deaths. The education level of up to seven years of study was associated with a greater number of deaths with 105 (75.5%) of the total. Most deaths occurred at the accidentsite summing 74 (53.2%) victims. At night (between 18 to 6 hours), there were 96 (70%) deaths. From those, 53 (55.2%) were on the weekends. The highest concentration of accidents occurred in the central area of the city and on the main routes where there is the largest beltway of the municipality. There was a statistically significant association between the speed limit (<60 km / h) and the deaths at the accident site (p <0.05). The chances of dying on a motorcycle traffic accident on routes in which the speed limit is below 60 km / h is almostfour times higher than on those routes with a higher speed limit. Accidents involving motorcyclists who live outside the city of Maringá mainly occurred on access routes to the city. In general, the location of the accident took place near the victim's home. The chances of dying on a traffic accident at night and on the weekends were more than double. In conclusion, the most vulnerable victims were aged between 18 to 23years old with a prevalence of male motorcyclists that have a lower education level. There were more accidents on the weekends and at night, predominating collisions and deaths on site, which were concentrated on the main streets of the city where the largest municipality routes are located and where there is a greater flow of vehicles and pedestrians as well. The results point out to the need of urgent and effective public actions such as socio-educational preventive measures, police vigilance and inspection and traffic engineering, giving priority to areas with higher incidence of accidents and adapting the traffic to the local conditions in order to prevent and reduce traffic accidents in Maringá. The results also indicate the need for further research on this issue.