Automated traffic enforcement cameras and road traffic mortality in Medellín Colombia

Road traffic fatalities remain a major public health challenge in low- and middle-income countries. Medellín, Colombia, implemented photodetection cameras between 2009 and 2011, with sanctioning measures starting in 2012. This study estimated the effect of this policy on road traffic mortality using anonymized mortality records and population estimates. Age- and sex-adjusted mortality rates from 1997 to 2011 were used to assess pre-intervention trends and select Cali as the comparator city. Difference-in-differences Poisson models were then estimated for 2007-2017. During the study period, 10,363 road traffic deaths occurred in Medellín and 10,607 in Cali. After adjustment, the final model estimated an 8% reduction in road traffic mortality in Medellín following photodetection implementation, with larger estimated reductions among men and individuals aged 15-44 years. Automated enforcement may contribute to injury prevention in urban settings with persistent road traffic mortality.