The neglected epidemic: road traffic injuries in developing countries.

This review indicates that road traffic injuries are a major public health problem in developing countries. More than 85% of deaths and 90% of disability adjusted life years lost from road traffic injuries occur in developing countries. Among children aged 0-4 and 5-14 years, the number of fatalities per 100,000 population in low income countries was about six-fold greater than in high income countries in 1998. The highest burden of injuries and fatalities in developing countries occurs among poor people (pedestrians, passengers in buses/minibuses and cyclists).