One in six traffic accident victims in hospitals suffer from long-term health loss, according to a new study by Belgium's road safety institute (Vias).
Vias commemorated the International Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on Sunday, addressing the cost of road safety.
Traditionally, the societal cost of traffic accidents is measured in terms of fatalities and injuries. In this study, however, Vias utilises the concept of DALYs (Disability-Adjusted Life Years) to quantify the total number of healthy life-years lost.
Invisible toll: tracking lost healthy years
The report suggests that traffic accidents do not only cause loss of life but often result in injuries with lifelong implications. Spinal injuries, for example, typically lead to prolonged discomfort, potentially translating into lost healthy years.
Fatal victims account for thirty percent of the lost healthy life years. In contrast, surviving victims, more numerous than fatalities, make up the remaining seventy percent. Hospital data indicates that 16% of admitted traffic victims suffer the consequences of their accidents for years. Pedestrians bear the brunt of these long-term effects, with 22% reporting ongoing issues.
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The DALYs measure also highlights the impact of unsafe traffic conditions on health loss. Road safety, according to the study, is the second most significant cause of health loss for children aged five to fourteen, following hearing and vision loss.
"Every day, people's lives or those of their loved ones are dramatically altered or cut short by traffic accidents," says An Vandeborne, Chair of the Association Parents of Accident Victims. "Every traffic victim is one too many."
