Effective factors in the occurrence of road accidents in west Azerbaijan, Iran (2010-2016)

Car accidents are the most common accidents and one of the major health problems endangering the health of society. In fact, they are predictable and preventable events that can cost lives and money. The identification of the factors that influence these events can help control and reduce them. The present study aimed to identify the effective factors in the occurrence of road accidents in West Azerbaijan, Iran, during 2010-2016. Methods: All the traffic accident data recorded by the traffic police of West Azerbaijan during 2010-2016 were used in this cross-sectional study. The data were analyzed descriptively by the Chi-square test and analytically using SPSS software (version 16) and time series using Minitab (version 17). Results: The data of 79,296 registered accidents were included in the study. Most accidents were reported among males (93.9%) and high school education holders (56%), during 12-18 p.m. (39%) and the day (62%), by light vehicle (65%), disregarding longitudinal and transverse distance (63%), and resulting in damage (53%). Conclusions: There was a higher frequency of traffic accidents among male drivers holding a diploma. Further investigations are required to determine the contribution of each of the risk factors and plan for the prevention of accidents.