Traffic injury mortality in children in transitional Lithuania - A longitudinal analysis from 1971 to 2005

Aim: Low- and middle-income countries bear far higher road traffic injury mortality rates than high-income countries. This paper considers the changing picture of child traffic injury mortality in Lithuania over a 35-year period. Methods: Road traffic injury mortality data, mortality data from other causes, and population data have been used to compare the trend lines of child road deaths with injury deaths and all deaths and calculate the road traffic mortality rates for children and young people aged 0-19 years. Results: This study revealed an inverted u-shaped trend, peaking in the 1980s and with a temporary elevated level in the early 1990s, in traffic mortality for the age group 0-19. However, unlike child death by all causes, road traffic injury has not declined significantly between the beginning and the end of the study period. Traffic deaths as a percentage of injury deaths and of all deaths showed a significantly rising trend. Conclusion: Road traffic injury remains a serious public health problem in children and young people in Lithuania, which requires a high priority. © 2008 The Author(s)