STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF ROAD ACCIDENTS IN BRAZIL

Resumo

Road traffic accidents rank among the leading causes of death for individuals aged 5 to 29, according to the World Health Organization. Studies indicate that men are approximately three times more likely than women to die in road collisions. This article examines whether there is a positive correlation between the number of active drivers (by age group and gender) and the profile of accident victims (by age group and gender). Aggregated data on licensed drivers were used, organized into seven age brackets (18–30; 31–40; 41–50; 51–60; 61–70; 71–80; 80+), for both men and women, along with data on accident victims in the same age groups (grouped as 18–29; 30–39; 40–49; 50–59; 60–69; 70–79; 80+). Pearson’s correlation coefficient was calculated separately for men and women, as well as the correlation between the proportion of male drivers and male victims. A strong positive correlation was found for both sexes (r ≈ 0.862 for men; r ≈ 0.925 for women), as well as a high correlation (r ≈ 0.961) between male proportions. We conclude that age groups with more drivers also exhibit more victims, and that the proportion of male victims tracks the proportion of male drivers in each age group. Special attention to young male drivers is recommended in prevention policies.