Traffic accident mortality in Brazil: a silent tragedy

Ana Maria Nogales Vasconcelos, Universidade de Brasília
David Duarte Lima, Universidade de Brasília

Traffic accidents are one of the main causes of injuries and mortality in Brazil. This phenomenon started in the 1960’s together with the fast and disordered urban growth. Data from WHO (World Health Organization) showed that traffic accidents mortality rate in Brazil was one of the highest among countries between 1992 and 2000. In the years 1990’s, 4% of deaths in Brazil came from traffic crashes. The aim of this paper is to show the impact of the Brazilian Traffic Code, introduced in 1998, on the traffic accidents mortality levels. Data from the national mortality system of the Health Ministry are used to obtain mortality rates by victims’ characteristics. Data from the National Traffic Department are also considered and their quality evaluated. The traffic accidents mortality level presents a significant reduction (18%) between 1995 and 2000. The largest reduction was among women (27%) and elderly (36%).