RESUMENIntroducción: Anualmente cerca de 1.25 millones de personas mueren y otros 50 millones resultan lesionados por el tránsito en el mundo. Para cambiar esta tendencia y reducir en 50% las lesiones y muertes por el tránsito, la Organizaciòn Mundial de la Salud y la Organizaciòn de Naciones Unidas (2011) promovieron en los países miembros la adopción del Plan mundial para la década de acción en seguridad vial 2011-2020. Objetivo: Este estudio describe resultados preliminares de los primeros años de la plan mundial para la década de acción en seguridad vial en Colombia. Metodología: Estudio descriptivo sobre el comportamiento de Lesiones y Muertes causadas por el Tránsito (LMT) en Colombia 2010-2015. La información de muertes se tomó del Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística (DANE) y de los informes anuales del Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal. Para estimar la meta del plan mundial para la década de acción en seguridad vial se empleó la metodología propuesta en 2011, donde los resultados se expresan como un delta-Δ entre el número de casos esperados/reportados para cada año. Resultados: Aunque hubo discrepancias entre las fuentes de información, coinciden en que las tasas de mortalidad por LMT se han incrementado anualmente entre 1,5% y 2,6%. Cerca de 70% de los decesos se concentró en motociclistas (37,7%), peatones (27,4%) y ciclistas (5,0%). Las lesiones se han incrementado 3,2% promedio anual. El delta nacional de LMT es mayor al 40% en 2015 respecto a la meta del plan mundial para la década de acción en seguridad vial. Conclusiones: Las intervenciones en motociclistas y peatones, deben priorizarse, aportan más del 65% de la siniestralidad vial. Debe disminuirse la brecha entre la existencia de la ley y su aplicación, además, la calidad de información debe ser un tema a profundizar que permita a los tomadores de decisiones orientar los recursos y disminuir el rezago frente a los objetivos del plan mundial para la década de acción en seguridad vial.Palabras clave: Accidentes de tránsito, seguridad vial, lesiones, muertes, Colombia. ABSTRACTIntroduction: Approximately 1.25 million people die each year and another 50 million are injured by traffic events around the world. To change this trend and reduce Road Traffic Injuries and deaths (RTI) by 50%, the Would Health Organization and the United Nations (2011) promoted the adoption of the decade of global road safety action plan

BackgroundApproximately 1.3 million people die each year and another 50 million are injured by traffic events. To change this trend and reduce road traffic injuries and deaths (RTI) by 50%, the WHO and the UN (2011) adopted the Decades of Global Road Safety Action Plan (DRSA-2011–2020). Colombia proposed reducing its mortality RTI by 25% (2021). This study describes and analyzes the preliminary results of the DRSA program in Colombia.MethodsThis is a descriptive study about of RTI in Colombia between 2010–2015 years. The information on deaths was taken from the National Administrative Department of Statistics (based on CIE records V01-V89 and V98-V99) and the annual reports from National Institute of Legal Medicine. To estimate the DRSA goal, a methodology proposed in 2011 was used, in which the results are expressed as delta-Δ between the numbers of expected/reported cases per year. We calculate the percentage differences with P value<0.05.ResultsAlthough there are differences between the sources of information, they coincide that mortality rates due to RTI have increased annually between 1.5% and 2.6%. Deaths occur mainly in vulnerable actors of the road: motorcyclists (37.7%), pedestrians (27.4%), and cyclists (5.0%). The injuries have increased 3.2% in average annually. The national RTI delta is greater than 40% by 2015 regarding to the global DRSA target (P<0.05)ConclusionPriority policy interventions must be on vulnerable actors of the road (motorcyclists and pedestrians) they are contributing in more than 65% of RTI. It is also vital law’s enforcement, reducing gaps between norms from the law and its real application. The quality of information should be an aspect to improve. This study may have the limitation that vital statistics have problems of coverage by incomplete registration of deaths or poor classification of certified deaths.

BackgroundRoad traffic injuries and fatalities have increased in Colombia despite that 2011–2010 is the Decade of Road Safety Action. In the past few years mostly motorcyclists have been affected by fatality and trauma. This paper aims to describe the behaviour of motorcyclist fatality patterns in Colombia from 2000–2014.MethodsThis longitudinal study used fatality records from the Colombian National Statistics Department and vehicle records from the Unified National Transit Registry and selected fatalities from International Classification of Diseases ICD-X V200 to ICD-X V299. The variables studied were year, age group, sex, department, and month of occurrence. A linear regression was used to identify the correlation between rates and fatalities, and the number of motorcycles during the period under study. The value P < 0.05 was used.ResultsFrom 2000 to 2014 there was a near 100% increase in the number of motorcyclist fatalities in Colombia; the occurrence rate increased from 3.5/100,000 to 6.0/100,000 inhabitants. 65.4% of the fatalities affected persons 15 to 34 years of age; 87% of whom were men. 55% of the fatalities took place in six provincial departments (Antioquia, Valle, Bogotá, Huila, Santander, and Meta). The months with the most casualties were July (8.7%) and December (9.5%). The rate and fatality behaviour can be explained by an increase in the number of vehicles of up to 92% (P < 0.001).ConclusionsMotorcyclist fatalities have become a serious public health issue. There are many determining factors associated with their occurrence: motorcyclists with little safety gear, lax granting of driver’s licenses, weak processes for traffic law compliance (to control violation of laws and regulations, lack of safety gear, speeding, etc.), and inexpensive purchase plans for motorcycles. It is imperative to regulate motorcycle sales and to implement public policy that will prioritise compliance with national laws and regulations.

BackgroundIn the 1990’s, the United Nations set the standards for confronting the increasing issue of traffic injuries and fatalities (TIF). In Colombia, the 2013–2021 National Road Safety Plan was created to implement guidelines and facilitate inter-sector coordination of the strategic pillars proposed in the program Decade of Road Safety Action-DRSA. This study shows the results of the first five years of the DRSA program in Colombia.MethodsThis descriptive, longitudinal study analyses the behaviour of TIF in Colombia from 2010 to 2015. The injury and fatality records were obtained from the Colombian National Institute of Legal Medicine and from the Colombian National Statistics Department. The number of vehicles was obtained from the Unified National Transit Registry. Adjusted fatality rates were estimated. A lineal regression model was made to correlate the fatality rates with the overall increase in the number of vehicles adjusted by population during the study period.ResultsThe information sources differ as far as percentages were concerned (1.3%–6.5%), but they coincided in the fact that fatalities increased by around 40% (2014). 37% of the fatalities occurred in three provincial departments: Antioquia (14.4%), Valle (12.5%) and Bogotá (10.1%). The average fatality rate for 2014 was nearly 14.0/100,000 inhabitants; although it was higher in the provincial departments of Casanare (37.7), Arauca (27.9), Meta (26.6), and Cesar (25.7). There was a positive correlation between TIFs and the increase in the number of vehicles in Colombia (p < 0.001).ConclusionsRoad safety management in Colombia is restricted due to the lack of a leading agency to direct, control, and manage policies. Although a decree to create a National Road Safety Agency was issued in 2013, the year 2015 is now closing and such agency has not initiated operations. Poor implementation and non-compliance with traffic laws and regulations seem to be the main cause for traffic accidents.