Injuries and deaths resulting from road traffic incidences are a global public health problem. The World Health Organization (WHO) has predicted that transport related injuries will become the third ranked global burden of disease and injury by 2020 if action is not taken (1). Currently, 1.35 million road traffic deaths and over 50 million injuries are reported globally each year (2).
The social and economic burden of road traffic crashes are estimated to cost Canadians between $36 and $60 billion each year including both the direct/indirect costs and the estimated costs of pain and suffering (3). Most traffic crashes and related injuries and deaths are preventable. There has been a noticeable decreasing trend since 1995 in the number of road traffic injuries and deaths occurring in Canada (4). Despite this general improvement, the numbers of road traffic casualties remain at an unacceptable level. There is still a need to fully understand the causes and consequences of all crashes to guide evidence based road safety management plans for British Columbia and elsewhere in Canada.
Our programs of research focus on impaired driving, traffic policy, and road traffic injury prevention. Data from our research could be used to inform traffic policy and prevention programs and evaluate those currently in place.
Infographic created by BC Emergency Medicine Network
