A study on road traffic crashes and injuries in Qatar as reported by drivers

To determine the contributing factors to road traffic crashes (RTCs) and road traffic injuries (RTIs) in the rapidly developing State of Qatar.

This cross-sectional study was carried out at Primary Health Care Centers and included a sample of 1762 drivers selected randomly among patients registered for daily visits. A designed questionnaire covering sociodemographic information, driving history, type of vehicle driven, driver behavior, severity of motor vehicle injuries, and the cause of the RTC was used to collect data.

Young drivers in the age group (25-34) years had the highest prevalence of RTIs (35%). A significantly higher proportion of men had RTI when compared with women, with an incidence ratio of 1.4:1 (P<0.001). A large proportion of the injured drivers were also involved in traffic violations within a year, especially violations such as exceeding speed limits (36.9%) and parking violations (18.1%). 27.9% of injured drivers were distracted by eating or drinking, whereas 25.4% were distracted by using their mobile phone. The main types of crashes among the drivers of Qatar were a result of overturn skid crashes (20.7%) and hitting fixed objects (15.1%). Those injured by both light vehicles and heavy vehicles reported the highest incidence of head injuries, with a combined percentage of 31.8% of all reported injuries.

The study showed that human behavioral factors including use of cell phones, eating/drinking, and traffic violations represented one of the main causes of RTIs. Interventions targeting behavior modification of drivers in terms of adherence to traffic rules and regulations with strict implementation are required for better prevention and control of RTCs and RTIs.