Two hundred ninety-seven persons, all aged over 60 or over (180 women, 117 men), injured in the traffic environment, and treated at the Regional Hospital in Umea, over a one-year period were analysed.Injuries were grouped into three main categories: falls (52%), vehicle-associated events (44%), and "other" injury events (4%). In women, falls were a more common cause of injury than vehicle events, whilst in men there was a tendency for a converse relationship. Two-thirds of the falls involved slipping on ice and snow. Ice- and snow-related injures (all categories) accounted for 37% of the total cost of all injuries in the elderly in the traffic environment. The main groups in the vehicle-associated injury category were cyclists (48%), car occupants (34%), other occupants (14%), and pedestrians (4%). Vehicle-associated injuries became more common with advancing age, resulted in the most severe and critical (Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale (MAIS) greater or equal to 4) injuries and the most fatalities, and cost (total and mean) more than falls. In conclusion, from the injury cost point of view, it is most important to prevent vehicle-associated injuries. However, when total frequencies are considered, falls deserve to be given just as much priority in injury preventionprograms as vehicle-associated injuries, to make the traffic environment safer for this growing population.(A).
Abstract