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Rahmani Daranjani A, Rezaeizadeh M. A Comparison of Nowruz 2016 and Nowruz 2017 Accidents Data in Iran. Health in Emergencies and Disasters Quarterly 2020; 5 (2) :71-78
URL: http://hdq.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-244-en.html

Background: Road traffic accidents are currently among the most essential public health issues. According to the World Health Organization, given the rapid growth of road transport globally, road traffic accidents could be the third leading cause of death and disability in the world by 2020. This article examined the role of the human factor in road accidents during the Nowruz holidays, as a major cultural event in Iran.
Materials and Methods: We explored the data of road accidents that occurred in Nowruz in 2016 and 2017 in Iran. Traffic accident data concerning the Nowruz holidays of 2016 and 2017 were collected by census method of sampling and based on the report of highway police. Additionally, the frequency of these accidents was analyzed according to travel time, accident type, gender, age, education, and vehicle type in different provinces.
Results: The present study findings suggested that among human factors affecting Nowruz accidents in 2016 and 2017, the highest frequency belonged to unnecessary speeding. As in 2016 and 2017, it was the main responsible characteristic for 56.42% and 55.01% of accidents, respectively. In Nowruz 2016, the provinces of Tehran, Khorasan Razavi, Isfahan, Fars, and Khuzestan; in Nowruz 2017, the provinces of Tehran, Isfahan, Khorasan Razavi, Fars, and Gilan encountered the highest rates of accidents leading to injuries and deaths.
Conclusion: To control unnecessary speeding and regulations disregard, planning for culturizing and the community-level education are suggested. Besides, increasing the quality and intelligence of vehicles and the construction of sliders, vertical lines on the road, warning signs, and billboards could help reduce the rate of accidents. Creating a working group of experts in psychology, traffic, etc., to study the pathology of dangerous behaviors, useless haste, and disregard for regulations and providing solutions could also be effective.