[Epidemiology of traffic accidents in Costa Rica]

Traffic accidents are a major cause of death and injury in Costa Rica. The present study describes their epidemiology on the basis of data obtained from various sources, including compulsory motor vehicle insurance reports, hospital discharges, and death statistics. The use of several sources of information made it possible to characterize the problem from different perspectives and to include in the analysis the greatest possible number of reported accidents. Incidence, mortality, and hospital discharge rates were calculated on the basis of population figures, and the age and type of license of drivers involved in accidents were analyzed. In addition, case-fatality rates were determined for different types of accidents. The study showed that in Costa Rica the population groups aged 20-39 and over 70 were involved in more motor vehicle accidents than other age groups. However, case-fatality is higher for those under age 10 and over age 40. Incidence and fatality rates are high in provinces where the terrain is relatively flat, making it possible to drive at high speeds. With regard to the characteristics of the drivers, it was observed that those under age 20 have more accidents than older drivers, and that the accident rates for bus and taxi drivers are much higher than those for drivers of private cars. Finally, case-fatality is higher when the accident involves a vehicle and a pedestrian. These findings have implications for the definition of policies on traffic accident control in Costa Rica. The problem needs urgent attention, and measures should be adopted to improve the situation in those parts of the country where traffic accident incidence and fatality are especially high. Our study also demonstrates the importance of knowing how to use available data to generate different types of information.