title: Time analysis of fatal traffic accidents in Fars Province of Iran.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the time factor in road traffic accidents (RTAs) in Fars Province of Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was conducted in Fars Province, Iran from November 22, 2009 to November 21, 2011. Victims'information consisted of age, sex, death toll involving dri- vers or passengers of cars, motorcycles and pedestrians, and site of injury etc. Accidents were analyzed in relation to hour of the day, season of the year, lighting condition including sunrise, sunset, daytime and nighttime.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 3 642 deaths (78.3% were males, and the ratio of males to females was about 3.6:1) were studied regarding their autopsy records. There was a steady increase in fatal accidents occurring at midnight to 15:59. The risk of being involved in a fatal traffic accident was higher for those injured between 4:00 to 7:59 than at other times (OR equal to 2.13, 95% CI 1.85-2.44). The greatest number of fatal RTAs took place in summer. Mortalities due to RTA during spring and summer were more pronounced at 20:00 to 23:59 and midnight to 3:59, whereas mortalities in fall and winter were more pronounced from 12:00 to 15:59.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high mortality rate of RTA is a major public health problem in Fars Province. Our results indicate that the time is an important factor which contributes to road traffic deaths.
authors.affiliation: Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed-Taghi
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Heydari
authors.forename: Amin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoseinzadeh
authors.forename: Yaser
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sarikhani
authors.forename: Arya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hedjazi
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zarenezhad
authors.forename: Ghasem
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Moafian
authors.forename: Mohammad-Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Aghabeigi
authors.forename: Mojtaba
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mahmoodi
authors.forename: Fariborz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ghaffarpasand
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Riasati
authors.forename: Payam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Peymani
authors.forename: Seyed-Mehdi
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ahmadi
authors.forename: Kamran-B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Lankarani
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors