Objective: Fatalities from motor vehicle collisions are one of the leading causes of death among children in developed countries. Previous publications have shown that the rate is approximately 4 times higher in Latin American countries. We aimed to determine the prevalence and characteristics of child victims of motor vehicle collisions in Panama and to compare them with data from a more developed country. In this study, Spain was the country chosen for such comparison.
Methods: A descriptive and retrospective study on the prevalence and characteristics of child victims from motor vehicle collisions that occurred from 2005 to 2012 in Panama was performed. To carry out this study, the records pertaining to victims of motor vehicle collisions in Panama were obtained from the National Institute of Statistics and Census and the Spanish data were obtained from the Road Accident Report. The variables analyzed were age, sex, number of victims, number of injuries, number of fatalities, and type of motor vehicle collision.
Results: The child mortality rate in Panama by motor vehicle collisions during the evaluated time period ranged from 2.11 to 3.63, whereas mortality rates in Spain ranged from 0.6 to 1.9, making rates in Panama 3 to 4 times higher than the rates observed in Spain. Children under 5 years old were the group with the highest number of fatalities in Panama.
Conclusions: In Panama, a lack of specific legislation on the use of child restraints (car seats) as well as a lack of information and awareness campaigns could be responsible for the high toll of child victims associated with motor vehicle collisions.
Keywords: child; motor vehicle; child safety.