Objective: to analyze the perception of nurses in primary health care on the prevention of traffic accidents with children as a component of care.
Method: study of a qualitative approach, with ten nurses from a municipality in Paraná. The data collected in 2017, through semi-structured interviews, analyzed according to the modality of the inductive theme.
Results: two themes were identified: "prevention actions are secondary to cure"; "Indicating the way to prevent traffic accidents: nursing care". the reports explained that care usually occurs only after the accident, showing that preventive interventions are still insufficient. Intersectoral actions were identified as the path to care, with the school being especially recommended.
Conclusion: it was identified that the care in accident prevention is performed by the nurse, expanding the possibility of interaction and communication with the individual seeking the integrality and equity of health care.