BMJ 2015;350:h3081 doi: 10.1136/bmj.h3081 (Published 8 June 2015)
Page 1 of 2
Letters
LETTERS GREEK ECONOMIC CRISIS
Road traffic fatalities in Greece have continued to fall during the financial crisis George Michas cardiology fellow Cardiology Department, Thoracic Diseases General Hospital Sotiria, Athens, Greece
The 2010 Global Burden of Disease Study states that road traffic injuries are the eighth leading cause of death globally and the leading cause of death among young people aged 15-29.1 Two years ago we presented data showing that deaths from road traffic collisions have fallen in Greece as drivers have switched to less expensive means of transport or reduced their overall travel, mainly because of the unprecedented economic crisis (since the final quarter of 2008)2 3; as well as the steep decrease in salaries, the price of petrol has increased by more than 50%.2 The table⇓ shows that this trend continues and has led to a 47.5% relative decrease in road traffic death rates in the country as a whole, from 13.9 road fatalities per 100 000 inhabitants in 2008 to 7.3 in 2014.
Public health measures need to be strengthened to sustain the positive effect of the Greek financial crisis on road safety in the long term, when the economy will start growing and vehicles will start moving on the road again.2 Competing interests: None declared. 1 2 3
Lozano R, Naghavi M, Foreman K, et al. Global and regional mortality from 235 causes of death for 20 age groups in 1990 and 2010: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. Lancet 2012;380:2095-128. Michas G, Micha R. Road traffic accidents in Greece: have we benefited from the financial crisis? J Epidemiol Community Health 2013;67:894. Liaropoulos L. Greek economic crisis: not a tragedy for health. BMJ 2012;345:e7988.
Cite this as: BMJ 2015;350:h3081 © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2015
[email protected] For personal use only: See rights and reprints http://www.bmj.com/permissions
Subscribe: http://www.bmj.com/subscribe
BMJ 2015;350:h3081 doi: 10.1136/bmj.h3081 (Published 8 June 2015)
Page 2 of 2
LETTERS
Table Table 1| Road fatalities and road traffic death rates in Greece from 2001 to 2014 Year
Road fatalities
Road fatalities per 100000 inhabitants
Average annual unemployment rate (%)
GDP in market prices (€m)†
2001
1911
17.5
10.8
147028
2002
1655
15.1
10.4
156794
2003
1613
14.7
9.8
173046
2004
1547
14.0
10.6
187415
2005
1470
13.3
10.0
194732
2006
1493
13.4
9.0
210734
2007
1449
13.0
8.4
225537
2008
1550
13.9
7.8
231797
2009
1463
13.1
9.6
231456
2010
1281
11.5
12.7
224494
2011
1092
9.8
17.9
206159*
2012
976
8.8
24.4
194098*
2013
861*
7.8**
27.5
186639*
2014
801*
7.3**
26.5
183851*
GDP=Gross domestic product. * Provisional data. ** The calculations were based on provisional data for 2013 and 2014. † €1=£0.73; $1.12. Sources: Deaths caused by road traffic accidents were derived from the Hellenic Police; www.astynomia.gr; unemployment rates and GDP figures were derived from Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT; www.statistics.gr).
For personal use only: See rights and reprints http://www.bmj.com/permissions
Subscribe: http://www.bmj.com/subscribe
Page 1 of 2
Letters
LETTERS GREEK ECONOMIC CRISIS
Road traffic fatalities in Greece have continued to fall during the financial crisis George Michas cardiology fellow Cardiology Department, Thoracic Diseases General Hospital Sotiria, Athens, Greece
The 2010 Global Burden of Disease Study states that road traffic injuries are the eighth leading cause of death globally and the leading cause of death among young people aged 15-29.1 Two years ago we presented data showing that deaths from road traffic collisions have fallen in Greece as drivers have switched to less expensive means of transport or reduced their overall travel, mainly because of the unprecedented economic crisis (since the final quarter of 2008)2 3; as well as the steep decrease in salaries, the price of petrol has increased by more than 50%.2 The table⇓ shows that this trend continues and has led to a 47.5% relative decrease in road traffic death rates in the country as a whole, from 13.9 road fatalities per 100 000 inhabitants in 2008 to 7.3 in 2014.
Public health measures need to be strengthened to sustain the positive effect of the Greek financial crisis on road safety in the long term, when the economy will start growing and vehicles will start moving on the road again.2 Competing interests: None declared. 1 2 3
Lozano R, Naghavi M, Foreman K, et al. Global and regional mortality from 235 causes of death for 20 age groups in 1990 and 2010: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. Lancet 2012;380:2095-128. Michas G, Micha R. Road traffic accidents in Greece: have we benefited from the financial crisis? J Epidemiol Community Health 2013;67:894. Liaropoulos L. Greek economic crisis: not a tragedy for health. BMJ 2012;345:e7988.
Cite this as: BMJ 2015;350:h3081 © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2015
[email protected] For personal use only: See rights and reprints http://www.bmj.com/permissions
Subscribe: http://www.bmj.com/subscribe
BMJ 2015;350:h3081 doi: 10.1136/bmj.h3081 (Published 8 June 2015)
Page 2 of 2
LETTERS
Table Table 1| Road fatalities and road traffic death rates in Greece from 2001 to 2014 Year
Road fatalities
Road fatalities per 100000 inhabitants
Average annual unemployment rate (%)
GDP in market prices (€m)†
2001
1911
17.5
10.8
147028
2002
1655
15.1
10.4
156794
2003
1613
14.7
9.8
173046
2004
1547
14.0
10.6
187415
2005
1470
13.3
10.0
194732
2006
1493
13.4
9.0
210734
2007
1449
13.0
8.4
225537
2008
1550
13.9
7.8
231797
2009
1463
13.1
9.6
231456
2010
1281
11.5
12.7
224494
2011
1092
9.8
17.9
206159*
2012
976
8.8
24.4
194098*
2013
861*
7.8**
27.5
186639*
2014
801*
7.3**
26.5
183851*
GDP=Gross domestic product. * Provisional data. ** The calculations were based on provisional data for 2013 and 2014. † €1=£0.73; $1.12. Sources: Deaths caused by road traffic accidents were derived from the Hellenic Police; www.astynomia.gr; unemployment rates and GDP figures were derived from Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT; www.statistics.gr).
For personal use only: See rights and reprints http://www.bmj.com/permissions
Subscribe: http://www.bmj.com/subscribe
