The Incidence of Road Traffic Crashes Among Young People Aged 15–20 Years: Differences in Behavior, Lifestyle and Sociodemographic Indices in the Galilee and the Golan

Background: Adolescent injuries and fatalities constitute a world health concern and present a major public health burden. Of all childhood injuries in Israel 61.8% occur during road traffic crashes. The risk of being injured or killed in a road traffic crash is especially high among individuals deemed to have a low socio-economic status, but, there also exist crucial risk factors for road traffic crashes that are intrinsic social determinants of health, including behavior, lifestyle, education and employment. These associations are explored in this study. Aim: To examine the contribution of socioeconomic inequalities to the incidence of road traffic crashes among adolescents living in the Galilee and the Golan. Methods: A large retrospective study of trauma records (N = 3293) of 15–20-year-old patients who were injured in road traffic crashes and admitted to Ziv Medical Center between 2004 and 2015 was performed. These patients were subcategorized according to their home address. Using census data and other databases associations between socioeconomic inequalities, intrinsic social determinants and the prevalence of road crashes were investigated. Results: Road traffic crashes in the Galilee and the Golan are more frequent among residents of low socioeconomic areas. Fifty-five percent of drivers are from the areas of lowest socioeconomic level (levels 2 to 4) and are responsible for 60% of the road traffic injuries admitted to Ziv Medical Center (p < 0.001). In contrast, 42% of drivers are from areas of medium socioeconomic level (levels 5 and 6) but are responsible for only 35% of road traffic injuries (p < 0.001). Young women in the Galilee and the Golan are less likely to be involved in road traffic crashes−35.8% compared to 64.2% in young men. Conclusions: This research has shown that youth, male gender, socioeconomic status, education level and the quality of road infrastructure are important factors in the incidence of road traffic crashes in the Galilee and the Golan. This should be taken into consideration by policy makers in order to develop appropriate interventions in road safety targeted at multiple levels.