The number of people injured in road traffic accidents in Ireland is significantly higher than previously reported, the results of a new study show.

The HSE study, Admission to Acute Hospitals for Injuries as a Result of Road Traffic Collisions in Ireland 2005 - 2009, is the first national study to determine the number of road accidents which require hospitalisation.

According to the HSE, it has identified major under-reporting of serious injuries following road accidents. It found that 14,861 people were treated as inpatients in hospital as a result of road traffic collisions (RTC) during the five-year period. This figure is 3.5 times greater than the number of serious injuries reported by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) using An Garda Síochána data.

The study noted that in particular, the number of cyclists injured was under-estimated in the RSA figures. They reported just 109 serious injuries among cyclists, however the researchers found that 1,050 cyclists were admitted to hospital during the five-year period.

Internationally, statistics on injuries arising from RTCs are underestimated in many countries. The RSA acknowledges that this is also true for Ireland, despite increased efforts by the Gardaí to report on these injuries. As a result, Dr Declan Bedford, a specialist in public health medicine with the HSE and co-author of the study, said that the figure was ‘not unexpected'.

Meanwhile, the study also found that two-thirds of injured people were male and that July and August were the two most common months for RTC-related hospital admissions.

"Many people think the roads are more dangerous in the winter, but serious injury crashes are most common in the summer months. All drivers, especially male drivers, have to accept their responsibilities and drive safely all year round," Dr Bedford commented.

The study also found that:
-Almost half (43%) of those discharged from hospital with an RTC-related injury were under 25 years of age
-Saturdays and Sundays were the most common days of admission
-The average length of stay for people admitted to hospital was six days
-One in 10 required admission to an intensive care unit (ICU). The average length of stay in ICU was seven days
-The most common principal diagnoses recorded were head injuries (31%)
-Most people were discharged home from hospital, although 11% were transferred to another hospital and 1% died in hospital.

The study estimated that the cost of RTCs to the acute hospital service is at least €20 million per year, while the cost to the Irish economy as a whole is far greater - at €1 billion per year.

"Data have shown that despite the major and welcomed drop in road deaths, we still have a significant problem with the number of people seriously injured in road crashes. There will have to be a continued implementation of evidence based strategies to make crashes less likely," Dr Bedford commented.

The study was carried out by the HSE Dublin North East's Department of Public Health in Navan. It focused on data from the HIPE (Hospital InPatient Enquiry) system, which is a computer-based health information system that collects data on discharges from acute hospitals in Ireland.