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Data: 22/11/2010
The Commission has set the target of halving the number of road deaths in the EU by 2020, but while tens of thousands of people die on the EU’s roads each year, a much higher number are injured. For every death it is reckoned that four people are permanently disabled, 10 are seriously injured and 40 suffer minor injuries. The resulting annual economic burden for Europe is estimated at EUR130 billion.
However, while traffic fatalities are well recorded, the same cannot be said for injuries and as a result, little is known about their long-term consequences. In the case of Belgium, while 93 % of road fatalities are reported directly, this drops to 60 % for serious injuries and 15 % for slight injuries.
This being the case, it is difficult to give an accurate estimation of the extent of the problem and establish priorities for preventing and reducing injuries. The subject was thus the focus of the Road Safety Days’ first panel discussion, with the initial part of the session examining the importance of accurate data collection for traffic injuries.
Statistics aside, injuries need quick and efficient response. Effective use of information technology is key to this.
One example is the EU eCall system which aims to shorten accident response times from emergency services. Vehicles should be equipped with eCall wireless hardware which, in the event of accidents, will be activated by airbag deployment and impact sensors and send GPS coordinates to local emergency services. Installation of GPS systems and crash pulse recorders on all cars will enable the location and severity of incidents to be determined quickly and accurately.
Systematic recording of injuries at hospitals and outpatient clinics will contribute to the compilation of precise injury data. Furthermore, victims could be asked to indicate the location of their accident on computerised maps in order to better pinpoint blackspots.
The current situation on injury response and costs was described via two examples: the French approach to organising first aid on the road and calculation of social costs of road accidents in Belgium.
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