Characteristics, likelihood and challenges of road traffic injuries in China before COVID-19 and in the postpandemic era

Abstract

Through a review of previous studies, this paper analysed the epidemiological characteristics and attempts to determine the various trends of road traffic injuries (RTIs) in China before and after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This paper proposed effective measures and suggestions for responding to RTIs in China. Moreover, this paper aimed to provide some references for studies on RTIs in the future. According to a reference review, 50 articles related to RTIs were published and viewed in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang database, Weipu (VIP) database and PubMed/MEDLINE database. Articles were selected according to the exclusion and inclusion criteria and then classified and summarized. Regarding cases, RTIs in China were highest in summer, autumn, and in rural areas and lowest in February. Men, elderly individuals and people living in rural areas were more susceptible to RTIs. In addition, thanks to effective and proactive policies and measures, the number of RTIs and casualties in China has substantially decreased, while there has been a growing number of traffic accidents along with the increase in nonmotor vehicles. However, it is worth noting that the number of RTIs obviously fell during the COVID-19 pandemic due to traffic lockdown orders and home quarantine policies. Nevertheless, accidents related to electric bicycles increased unsteadily because of the reduction in public transportation use at the same time. The factors that cause RTIs in China can be divided into four aspects: human behaviours, road conditions, vehicles and the environment. As a result, measures responding to RTIs should be accordingly proposed. Moreover, the road traffic safety situation in developing countries was more severe than that in developed countries. RTIs in China showed a downward trend attributed to road safety laws and various policies, and the downward trend was more significant during the COVID-19 pandemic owing to traffic lockdowns and home quarantine measures. It is urgent and necessary to promote road traffic safety, reduce injuries, and minimize the burden of injuries in developing countries.

Overview of road traffic injuries among migrant workers in Guangzhou, China, from 2017 to 2021

“… 29 Although RTIs in China have also declined, the number of RTIs of e-bikes has increased despite strict control of public transportation. 30 There is no obvious downward trend of RTIs in Guangzhou in 2020 and 2021, which indicates that the road safety problem in Guangzhou is still serious.…”

The effects of ambient temperature on road traffic injuries in Jinan city: a time-stratified case-crossover study based on distributed lag nonlinear model

“…In recent years, although some studies have reported that RTIs showed a downward trend attributed to road safety laws and various policies in China, the mortality of RTIs is still much higher than that in developed countries ( 9–11 ). As a result, it is still a very serious problem in China that should be paid more attention to ( 2 , 12 ).…”

Analysis of Risky Riding Behavior Characteristics of the Related Road Traffic Injuries of Electric Bicycle Riders

“…The direct economic loss caused by these accidents was RMB 243.63 billion, as reported in the 2019 Annual Report on Road Traffic Safety in China by the Institute of Highway Science of the Ministry of Transport of China. According to the global burden of disease research data, China accounted for 21% of global road traffic fatalities in 2017, equivalent to 0.6% of GDP [ 8 ].…”