Motor vehicle traffic accident mortality in Canada, 1921-1984

The analysis of motor vehicle traffic accident mortality through the use of cross-sectional and secular death rates indicates that motor vehicle traffic accident death rates increased over all age and sex groups from 1921 to 1970. Each generation, defined as a birth cohort, experienced successively higher motor vehicle traffic accident mortality rates until the 1970s. The most striking increase occurred among youths 15-24 years of age. Motor vehicle traffic accidents were responsible for 518,488 hospital days in Canadian hospitals in 1981-82. Approximately 47% of the days involved youths below the age of 25. Among youths in the 15-24 age group, about 30% of the hospital separations attributable to motor vehicle traffic accidents involved head injuries. Between 1970 and 1984, motor vehicle traffic accident mortality rates declined in all age groups. The possible reasons for the decline and the current pattern of motor vehicle traffic accident mortality are discussed in terms of the implications for hospital utilization and the prevalence of disability.