Road Accident Epidemiology Among Children - Investigation at Marseille's Hospital

In France, among the 12200 road users who died in 1979, 900 were children under 15 years. General statistics indicate that road accident fatalities are quite comparable for children between the three users'categories - pedestrians, cyclists and automobile occupants.

In order to propose some technical improvements for primary as well as secondary safety, it is important to better specify the real distribution of risks, the circumstances and injury consequences of accidents.

An epidemiological investigation has been set up with its sources at the hospital emergency services specialised for children. The first results obtained at the hospital Marseille Nord are discussed and let emphasize on the higher severity of head injuries, particularly with unconsciousness for the pedestrian. Lower limbs lesions were mainly fractures for the pedestrian while the 2 wheeler suffered fractures to both upper and lower limbs. The child car occupant, sitting in the rear seat, was injured by impact against the front seats and the car structure. The thoraco-abdominal viscera were very seldom injured.