Fatalities from road traffic accidents among the young in Bahrain

In Bahrain and other Gulf countries, road traffic accidents (RTA) are recognized as a growing public health problem. This study described the trend of fatalities from RTA in Bahrain among those aged < 25 years from 2003-2010. The proportional mortality ratios of RTA deaths (up to 30 days from the accident) among the young were compared with those of all ages. The average proportion of young males killed by RTA in Bahrain during the 8-year period was 82.7%, with 2006 marking the lowest proportion among Bahraini nationals (72.2%) and the total population (79.2%). RTA fatalities constituted 51.3% among the Bahrainis, 20.2% of non-Bahrainis and 39.0% of all fatalities in both sexes combined. The young in Bahrain were 3.5 times more likely to die from RTA than the general population. This paper calls on policy-makers to consolidate efforts to control this public health problem.