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.
Accidents, Traffic/statistics & numerical data , Wounds and Injuries/mortality , Accidents, Traffic/trends , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Cause of Death , Child , Child, Preschool , Cities/epidemiology , Craniocerebral Trauma/mortality , Databases, Factual , Female , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Italy/epidemiology , Male , Middle Aged , Motorcycles/statistics & numerical data , Multiple Trauma/mortality , Sex Factors , Survival Rate , Wounds and Injuries/etiology , Young Adult
