Changes in the Road Traffic Laws and Their Relationship with Head Trauma in a Medium- Sized City of Brazil

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of disability, morbidity and mortality in young people. As these individuals are vulnerable to the consumption of alcoholic beverages, this is a major public health issue with a high impact on socioeconomic costs. This study analyzed 138 patients treated at Hospital de Base for TBIs due to traffic accidents inside the urban area of Sao Jose do Rio Preto in the period from 2005 to 2008. Of these patients, 115 were male (83.3%) with a mean age of 38.9 years and 23 were female with a mean age of 42.4 years. There was a statistically non-significant decrease in the frequency of TBIs in the first half of 2008, that is, when stricter drink-driving laws were introduced. We conclude that urban TBIs predominantly affect young men and that there was no statistical correlation between the introduction of stricter drink-driving laws and a reduction in TBIs.