[The road accident epidemic]

Nearly 23,000 persons were injured in 1988 on our country's roads. Of these, some 500 were killed and 3600 severely injured. Despite the magnitude of the problem, the health care system is not sufficiently effective in the field of road accident prevention and mitigation of the human damage, nor is it sufficiently involved in the work of organizations active in these fields. There is an urgent need to establish a health authority in this area, linked to the Ministry of Health, consisting of experts from clinical and academic institutions and representatives of the medical profession. This authority should be responsible for the coordination, initiation and implementation of all health and medical activities in the field of road accident prevention and in improving the care rendered the victims.