title: The toll of traffic-related fatalities in a metropolitan Italian area through the experience of the Department of Legal Medicine.
abstract: Despite the introduction of new traffic laws in Italy, traffic-related deaths are still a huge burden. The study presents data and medico-legal issues behind traffic deaths in Milan between 2001 and 2012 (1506 traffic-related deaths). Data were collected from the database of the Department of Legal Medicine: 79.4% males and 20.6% females (mean age 44.14). The target group concerned traumatic deaths as a consequence of the accident as well as deaths not directly related to an accident. Although 6.1% were non-traumatic deaths (cause of death unconnected to the accident, i.e. because of a heart attack, or when death occurred after survival and cause of death was not related certainly to the accident), multiple skeletal/visceral injuries were the main cause of death (57.9%), occurring in motorcyclists the most (63.7%). Injuries to the skull and brain were the second cause of death (25.9%). Victims were mostly males (79.4%) and drivers (77.6%). Fifty-five per cent were deaths on-scene, while 45% survived. Other variables were also considered: medications, medical history, and drugs/alcohol/smoke. A downward trend in traffic-related fatalities was evident, but the toll is still high. This study should be a glimpse at the actual situation, since it is indicative of a metropolitan area where autopsies are systematically performed.
authors.affiliation: a Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute , Istituto di Medicina Legale e delle Assicurazioni , Milano , Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amadasi
authors.affiliation: a Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute , Istituto di Medicina Legale e delle Assicurazioni , Milano , Italy.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cerutti
authors.affiliation: a Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute , Istituto di Medicina Legale e delle Assicurazioni , Milano , Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Spagnoli
authors.affiliation: a Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute , Istituto di Medicina Legale e delle Assicurazioni , Milano , Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blandino
authors.affiliation: a Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute , Istituto di Medicina Legale e delle Assicurazioni , Milano , Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rancati
authors.affiliation: b Servizio Polizia Stradale, Polizia di Stato , Roma , Italy.
authors.forename: Carlotta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gallo
authors.affiliation: b Servizio Polizia Stradale, Polizia di Stato , Roma , Italy.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.affiliation: b Servizio Polizia Stradale, Polizia di Stato , Roma , Italy.
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rizzi
authors.affiliation: a Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute , Istituto di Medicina Legale e delle Assicurazioni , Milano , Italy.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cattaneo
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002947:Cities / Q000453:epidemiology; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000401:mortality; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009049:Motorcycles / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000401:mortality; D012737:Sex Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: autopsy; injuries; metropolitan area; traffic accident; traffic-related deaths