Determining the Causes of Child Road Deaths and Injuries in Lebanon

Road traffic injury (RTI) constitutes the leading cause of death and disability for individuals aged 5-29 years. Globally, road traffic injuries claimed the lives of 1.35 million people in 2016 with 50 million more injured or disabled.

Like many Eastern Mediterranean countries, Lebanon experiences high road traffic morbidity and mortality rates. According to WHO Road Status Report 2018, the rate of road deaths in Lebanon was estimated at 18.1 per 100,000, with more than half of these victims below the age of 30. Road Traffic Injury is one of the leading causes of injury-related death in Lebanon, with an estimated 500 fatal injuries reported annually (almost 18% of these road injury victims suffer from permanent or long-term disabilities).

This study presents four primary recommendations:

1. Ensure proper injury coding in hospitals and establish a national injury surveillance system.
2. Enforce road safety laws, particularly those intended to protect children.
3. Implement evidence-based road safety policies and behavioural change programs.
4. Invest in safer road infrastructure.