Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 14 Feb 1995

Vol. 449 No. 1

Written Answers. - Road Traffic Accidents.

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table. This gives the numbers of hospital admissions reported to the hospital in-patient inquiry (HIPE) as due to traffic accidents involving motor vehicles for the months of January, July, August and December for 1991 to 1993 inclusive. Coding procedures for HIPE do not provide information on the causes of motor vehicle accidents. Data for 1990 are not included due to low coverage for that year; data for 1994 are not yet complete. While HIPE coverage continues to improve and is now approaching 100 per cent, the following figures must be interpreted with caution and in the context of differing rates of coverage for each year (see footnote to table).

Hospital Admissions Arising from Traffic Accidents Involving Motor Vehicles 1991 to 1993.

Age Group	Year
1991	1992	1993
Jan.	July	Aug.	Dec.	Jan.	July	Aug.	Dec.	Jan.	July	Aug.	Dec.
Under 15	41	100	68	44	37	92	67	54	53	107	89	36
15-25	143	216	279	146	163	225	235	185	180	284	289	197
26-55	136	160	196	147	142	193	158	196	202	249	237	213
Over 55	60	46	65	53	54	72	76	71	65	89	112	110
Total	380	522	608	390	396	582	536	506	500	729	727	556

Note: HIPE coverage for each of the years 1991, 1992 and 1993 is estimated at 71 per cent, 76 per cent and 93 per cent respectively.