TRAFFIC INJURIES IN RUSSIA AND ITS FACTORS
Any road traffic system is very complicated and can be dangerous to health. Elements of this system include motorized transport vehicles, roads, road users as well as physical, social and economic environment. Countries with high automobilization have long ceased to consider traffic accidents as a pure “chance”; furthermore, efforts aimed at preventing and mitigating negative consequences of traffic accidents are thoroughly designed and structured. In 1972, William Haddon published his study with incorporated approaches that used to be individually applied to trauma epidemiology and transport engineering. Haddon suggested a model to analyze traffic situations that were dangerous to health. Haddon’s approach allowed to achieve a notable progress in understanding factors related to driver’s behavior, vehicle characteristics and road infrastructure conditions affecting emergence of traffic accidents and severity of consequences for participants. Haddon’s approach turned out to be a useful analytical instrument and became widely used in healthcare. Background. Traffic accident rate is a challenge that the majority of countries face. In Russia it has firmly taken a leading position among the most important social and demographic issues. According to the continuous data for 1956-2012 of the Federal State Statistics Service, in Russia, traffic accidents killed 1411 thousand people. By its traffic accident mortality rates, Russia significantly outranks other countries. Internationally, this problem is more considered both as crucial for protecting health and lives and important for economics. The study purpose is to identify most significant factors of road safety affecting rates of mortality and injury in Russia. Methods. Using Haddon’s method the author analyzed available information about traffic accidents, identified major problems in road safety associated with individual behavior on the road, environment and vehicles. Conclusions. It is an individual that constitutes the most significant and long-lasting factor of traffic injuries in Russia. Their behavioral patterns and professional skills play an important role in all three matrix phases. Many policy measures aimed at developing road infrastructure in Russia are characterized by poor territorial coverage. Out of all analyzed risk factors transport vehicles raise the least concern.