Medico-Legal Characteristics of Violent Deaths from Road Traffic Accidents in Sancti Spíritus, Cuba, 2021–2022

Abstract

Introduction: Road traffic accidents represent a growing public health problem and a major cause of violent death worldwide.
Objective: To describe the medico-legal characteristics of individuals who died from violent deaths secondary to road traffic accidents in the province of Sancti Spíritus from January 2021 to December 2022.
Methods: A descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted. The study population consisted of 77 individuals who died as a result of road traffic accidents. Cases with errors in departmental records, foreign nationals, and those in whom necropsy determined natural death were excluded.
Results: Of the deceased, 85.29% were men, with the 30–39-year age group being the most frequent. A total of 64.72% of events occurred during weekends and at night. The most common occupation was workers, and passengers accounted for half of the victims. Vehicle-to-vehicle collisions were the most frequent accident modality. Alcohol consumption was detected in more than half of the drivers, and human factors were identified as the primary cause in 88.24% of the incidents. The predominant direct mechanism of death was injury to the superior nervous centers. Conclusions: Road traffic accidents constituted a significant health problem in Sancti Spíritus. Most fatal victims were male workers aged 30–39 years. Human factors and alcohol consumption played a decisive role in the occurrence of these events.