Pedestrian mortality between 2006 and 2010 in China: findings from non-police reported data

Pedestrian safety in China is an important but largely neglected issue, in part due to the substantial under-reporting within police data. In this study we aimed to examine changes in pedestrian fatality between 2006 and 2010 in China using non-police reported data. A multi-year study was conducted based on the mortality data during 2006-2010 from the Disease Surveillance Points (DSP) data in China. Between 2006 and 2010, the crude pedestrian mortality increased from 7.0 to 10.5 per 100 000 populations. Annual pedestrian mortality from DSP data was 13 times in 2006 and 55 times in 2010 mortality for pedestrians and passengers from police-reported data in the corresponding years. After controlling for sex, age, and urban/rural, the mortality increased by 44% from 2006 to 2010 (adjusted mortality rate ratio (MRR)=1.11, 95% CI 1.10-1.12). The problem of pedestrian deaths is much more serious in China than that officially reported by the police. Significant and urgent efforts are needed to save lives of pedestrian in China.