title: A review of fatal road traffic accidents in Singapore from 2000 to 2004.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This retrospective study aims to assess the epidemiology of road traffic accident (RTA) fatalities in Singapore, other causes of death besides trauma in a RTA, and identify the groups at risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data of 1038 RTA fatalities were reported between 2000 and 2004. Analyses using the Fisher's exact test for discrete variables and multivariate Cox regression analysis were performed to identify groups at risk. The risk of fatality was measured using the prevalence rate ratio (PRR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median age of victims in the sample was 36 years (interquartile range 24 to 55). Eight hundred and thirty six cases (78%) were in the economically productive age range of 15 to 65 years. Over the 5-year period, there was a preponderance of males. Majority of fatalities involved multiple injuries. There were also 64 (6.2%) and 25 (2.4%) cases of RTA fatalities from infective and cardiovascular (CVS) causes, respectively. Multivariate analyses showed that those > or = 60 years were 4 (95% CI of PRR, 3.04 to 5.43) times as likely to be pedestrian fatalities. Conversely, the risk of fatalities involving pedestrians and cyclists was reduced for males (PRR = 0.58; 95% CI, 0.46 to 0.73). However, males were at increased risk of fatalities involving motorcyclists, scooter and pillion riders (PRR = 1.96; 95% CI, 1.43 to 2.70), whereas such risk was reduced for those aged 30 to 59 (PRR = 0.70; 95% CI, 0.58 to 0.85) or > or = 60 years (PRR = 0.30; 95% CI, 0.21 to 0.42), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As such, it appears that the groups at-risk had varying demographic characteristics. Public education could be modified to target these different groups to reduce the number of fatalities.
authors: Medical Officer, Department of General Surgery, Changi General Hospital, Singapore.
authors: Zeng Hao
authors: ZH
authors: Wong
authors: Chee Keong
authors: CK
authors: Chong
authors: Bee Choo
authors: BC
authors: Tai
authors: Gilbert
authors: G
authors: Lau
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009049:Motorcycles; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D016138:Walking; D055815:Young Adult