oa The relative risk of road mortality (RRRM) in Qatar

Background and Objectives: The epidemiology of road deaths in Qatar has not been fully described. This study will analyze and compare the age-specific death rates from motor vehicle crashes (MVC's) and make recommendations for targeted injury prevention programs for road safety in Qatar. Method: Data from the Qatar Statistic Authority (QSA), for the year 2010 was collected and analyzed. All deaths classified as "motor- or nonmotor-vehicle accident, type of vehicle unspecified" were included. Age group populations were computed from age-specific crude death rates. Results: There were 247 MVC deaths in Qatar in 2010. An overall death rate was computed at 14.2 deaths per 100,000 population. The RRRM varied over ten times amongst different populations with Qatari males (QM) having an increased RRRM from 10 years of age. The QM's aged 20-29 had the highest RRRM of 10.2. The lowest RRRM was for Qatari females who did not have a single road fatality in 2010. Other populations with elevated RRRM (i.e. RRRM >1.0) were non-Qatari males ages 10 to 19 and older than 50 years. Conclusions: Qatari males have an elevated RRRM from the age of 10 onward, definite programs must be implemented to reduce these unnecessary deaths amongst the populations at the highest risk. Multidisciplinary approaches must be implemented and their efficacy evaluated.