Potential-years-life-lost from motor vehicle crashes in Israel: an epidemiologic analysis

Motor Vehicle Crashes (MVC) were the 7th ranking specific cause of mortality (Israel 1975) after ischaemic heart disease (ISHD), cerebrovascular disease, respiratory disease, various types of cancer, and accidents other than MVC, but were the top ranking single cause (in males, next to accidents of all kinds) of Potential-Years-Life-Lost (PYLL) ages 1-65 among men and women and men 1-70 and 2nd ranking cause of PYLL age 1-75 among men. Many young male deaths from MVC and few from non-traumatic causes below age 40 account for these high PYLL rankings for MVC. Israeli age-specific death rates from MVC below age 40 were lower than those of USA, but higher among the elderly (reason: pedestrian deaths). Both Israel's PYLL rate (PYLL per 100 000 persons) from MVC and crude mortality rates are only slightly lower than those of USA. Trends in Israel point to a growing number of drivers among young and poorer groupings, who have been shown elsewhere to be at high-risk for MVC mortality. PYLL from MVC in Israel can be expected to increase, even if crude death rates remain stable or decline. Swift low-cost preventive measures could arrest or reverse these predicted trends.