Injury Deaths of US Citizens Abroad: New Data Source, Old Travel Problem

Abstract

US citizens should be aware of regional variation of injury deaths in foreign countries, especially for motor vehicle crashes, drowning, and violence. Improved knowledge of regional variations of injury death and risk for travelers can further inform travelers and the development of evidence-based prevention programs and policies. The State Department Web site is a new data source that furthers our understanding of this challenging travel-related health issue.

Traumatic Travels – A Review of Accidental Death and Injury in International Travellers

“…The same study drew similar conclusions in seven out of the ten regions studied. 5 Additionally, in Bermuda, road trauma involving motorcycle usage among tourists was six times greater than the rate for the local population. 10 Underlying contributory factors include tourists' disorientation in a new environment, travellers' alcohol consumption, the socio-economic circumstances of the destination country and the level of local enforcement of safety regulations.…”

Preparing Families With Children for International Travel

“…2). 25 Each year there are more than 25,000 deaths among tourists due to motor vehicle crashes worldwide. In addition, nearly half of medical evacuations back to the U.S. are the result of a motor vehicle accident (MVA).…”

Traumatismos causados por el tránsito en países en desarrollo: agenda de investigación y de acción

“…Por ejemplo, entre los años 2004 a 2006 se registraron 2361 muertes de ciudadanos de EE.UU. en el extranjero vinculadas con traumas, 50% de estas muertes ocurrieron en países del continente americano y, de estas, casi el 40%, fueron consecuencia de traumatismos causados por el tránsito (11) . Invertir en el control de los traumatismos en el ámbito nacional puede transformar a los países de ingresos bajos y medios en lugares más seguros no sólo para los ciudadanos locales sino también para los extranjeros.…”