Main environment-related health problems

Injuries and accidents

The data

Approximately 63% of non-intentional injuries happen at home, during leisure time or practising sport, 33% are traffic-related and 4% are work-related. Accidents at home are more common in elderly people and very young children, and also in women and disadvantaged groups (if we are talking in gender or social class terms, respectively). (*)

Accidents are the fourth cause of death in Europe, after cardiovascular disease, cancer and respiratory diseases. However, by age groups, accidents are the leading cause of death in the 0-44 age group and the third cause of death in the under-25s. In Catalonia, in 2011, external causes were the leading cause of death in men aged 15-44. In the case of women, external causes were the leading cause of death in the 15-24 age group.

Traffic accidents cause most of the deaths by accident, followed by domestic accidents.

In spite of the sustained decline in the accident and death rates since the year 2000 on our roads and streets, during 2011, there were 22,775 accidents in Catalonia, with 30,772 victims, 352 deaths (by 30 days after the accident) and 1,866 people with serious injuries. (**)

Traffic accidents affect young people in particular, with a clear gender difference. In the 15-24 age group, young men accounted for 70% of the total number of victims in 2011. (**)

(*) Health in the European Union: Trends and analysis. 2009.

(**) Catalan Traffic Service. Statistical Yearbook of Traffic Accidents in Catalonia 2011.

 

Risk factors

Housing conditions are a significant risk for domestic accidents, particularly for young children and the elderly.

As regards traffic accidents, roads near houses and schools are high-risk areas for children and restrict their activities, including cycling and walking. The highest risk roads are the secondary roads and their junctions with main roads.

Speed is a factor that determines the risk and the consequences of traffic accidents. There is evidence that shows that lower speed limits are associated with lower numbers of injuries and deaths, both those involving only vehicles and those involving pedestrians (Wilson et al., 2009). An exponential relationship has also been shown between the likelihood of a pedestrian dying after being run over and the vehicle's speed: from 4% at 20 km/h to 70% if the vehicle is travelling at 50 km/h.

 

Recommendations

Implement measures to calm down traffic with the goal of reducing road safety-related risks (real or perceived) and helping pedestrians feel safe. Some examples that you will find explained in more detail in the guide:

  • Increase the safety of pedestrian crossings, for example, by not placing containers or visual obstacles directly in front of a pedestrian crossing or junction, to ensure good visibility for vehicles.
  • Improve road signs.
  • Limit vehicle speeds, promoting areas with a maximum speed of 30 km/h.

However, it is also important to implement measures that increase safety on the road, such as:

  • Improving the safety of road works..
  • Placing railings to separate the kerb from the road at the accesses to public buildings to prevent accidents when many people exit at once. Likewise, slopes, steps and ramps should be equipped with continuous railings, particularly the sections at the start and end.