Investigation on road traffic safety of the mountain areas in southwest China based on Wulong County, Chongqing Municipality.
OBJECTIVE
To study the present situation, characteristics, and main problems of the traffic safety in the mountain areas of Southwest China.


METHODS
A study was done on the traffic status of Wulong County, Chongqing Municipality, by means of document review, field investigation, and inquiry.


RESULTS
The traffic crashes and deaths in Wulong County were increasing since 1999. From 1997 to 2001, there occurred 126 severe and very severe traffic crashes resulting in 175 deaths and 411 serious injuries, which accounted for 9.4% of total crashes, 96.1% of total deaths, and 48.4% of total serious injuries, respectively. The severe and very severe traffic crashes were highest in 2000. One part for 83 km in length accounting for 3.0% of No. 319 National Highway was responsible for 54.5% of very severe traffic crashes, which closely related to conditions of the road itself and its environment and defective execution of traffic laws.


CONCLUSIONS
Wulong County, one of the mountain counties in Southwest China, is now facing a complex and serious road traffic situation and serious traffic safety, with a high incidence of severe and very severe road traffic crashes. The crashes closely relate to imperfect road design, defective execution of traffic laws, imperfect management, and environmental factors.
Zhou
Ji-Hong
JH
Institute for Traffic Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Zhao
Xin-Cai
XC
Jiang
Zhi-Quan
ZQ
Zhu
Shun-Ying
SY
Zhou
Jing-Cuan
JC
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D018986:Motor Vehicles / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012449:Safety; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control