RESUMO
In many Caribbean countries, the impact of road traffic accidents cannot be adequately assessed, because of the lack of the required information. This study analyses all accidents reported to the Royal Barbados Police Force during 1992. The information recorded included the day, date and time of the accident, the number and ages of those injured or dying, the age of the driver if at fault and the type of vehicle involved in the accident. A total of 4,644 accidents were reported, of which 0.5 percent were fatal, giving a fatality rate of 11 deaths per 100,000 population and 5 per 10,000 vehicles; whilst 30.5 percent of the accidents resulted in injuries. The majority of deaths occurred in the 15-39-year-age group and in the afternoon between noon and 6:00 p.m. Motorcycles, taxis and minibuses accounted for a proportionately greater percentage of accidents and fatalities than their number in the vehicle population. In the cases where driver error was thought to be the main cause of the accident, drivers under the age of 20 (who represent only 4 percent of all licensed drivers), accounted for 18 percent of the fatal accidents. These data can be used to plan preventive programmes and identify areas in need of further research (AU)
