FORENSIC CHARACTERISTICS OF ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS - А SECULAR TREND STUDY
Abstract
Objective: Оbjective of work is to determine the forensic characteristics of road traffic accidents in territory of Raška District for period from 2009 to 2024.
Material and methodology: Observational, cross-sectional epidemiological study, in which a retrospective analysis of the characteristics of traffic accidents in Raška District of Republic of Serbia over past sixteen years was performed.
Results: Total number of road traffic accidents in observed period was 18.092. The research analyzed data from 2.129 road traffic accident participants who had a positive blood alcohol concentration. Largest number of road traffic accidents occurred in city of Kraljevo, outside of a populated area. Largest percentage of participants were motor vehicle drivers (88.54%), male (93.2%), with an average age of around 40 years. Seasonal relationship was observed in occurrence of road traffic accidents (August, September), as well as a higher incidence on weekends. Participants who were in the stage of heavy drinking more often suffered serious bodily injury, while participants who were in a state of intoxication and light drinking more often suffered minor bodily injury.
Conclusion: Road traffic accidents in the Raška District are the result of a combination of several factors, including driving under the influence of alcohol, traffic infrastructure, high population density in certain cities and specific characteristics of Ibar Highway.
References
2. Закон о безбедности саобраћаја на путевима. („Службени гласник РС“, 41/2009, 53/2010, 101/2011, 32/2013, 55/2014, 96/2015, 9/2016 и 24/2018), септембap 2023.
3. Aгенција за безбедност саобраћаја. Статистички извештаји. Статистички извештај о стању безбедности саобраћаја у Републици Србији за 2023. годину. Доступно на: https://www.abs.gov.rs/rsl/statisticki-izvestaji. Последњи пут виђено: 15.09.2025.
4. Stanarević S., Đukić A. Third Scientific Conference. In: Urban security and urban development. Book of papers. 2024. Beograd.
5. Slović Ž., Vitošević K., Todorović D., Todorović M. Forensic characteristics of chest injuries among subjects who died in road traffic accidents. Vojnosanitet Pregl. 2021. 78 (2): 215-222.
6. Иванишевић, С. Kриминологија са основама виктимологије. 2014. Београд, Правни факултет.
7. Kaya A., Uzun, I., Karapolat H. Characteristics of fatal traffic accidents related to alcohol consumption: An autopsy-based study. Scientific Reports. 2022. 12(1): 18346.
8. Eskindir D., Meyrema A.K., Tesfaye L., Shemsedin A., Kedir T.R. Traffic accidents and alcohol: A pathology-based report from Africa. Pan African Medical Journal. 2021. (38): 190.
9. Petrović, A. The Exogenous Characteristics of Traffic Delinquents. Law – Theory and Practice. 2021. 69(4): 115–127.
10. Slović Ž., Andrić I., Todorović D., et al. How vulnerable are the elderly in road traffic - autopsy study? Iran J Public Health. 2024. 53(8):1796-1804.
11. Sacco MA., Verrina MC., Gualtieri S., еt al. The role of autopsy in diagnosing fatal chest injuries in road traffic accidents: A Literature Review. Diagnostics (Basel). 2025. 19;15(6):778.
12. Mинистаратво државне управе и локалне самоуправе Републике Србије.Управни окрузи у Србији. Доступно на: https://mduls.gov.rs/registri/registar-upravnih-okruga/?script=lat Последњи пут виђено: 20.09.2025.
13. Pljakić, M., Jovanović, D., Matović, B. The influence of traffic-infrastructure factors on pedestrian accidents at the macro-level: The geographically weighted regression approach. Journal of Safety Research, 2022. (83): 248-259.
14. Stevanovic, АV. Tubić, M. Milenković, M. Vidas. Contribution to accident prediction models developrent for rural two-lane roads in Serbia. Hrčak, 2016. 4 (28): 415-424.
15. Министарство унутрашњих послова Републике Србије. Подаци о саобраћајним незгодама по полицијиским управама и општнама. Доступно на: https://data.gov.rs/sr/datasets/podatsi-o-saobratshajnim-nezgodama-po-politsijskim-upravama-i-opshtinama/ Последњи пут виђено: 20.09.2025.
16. Агенција за безбедност саобраћаја. Приручник – за спровођење стручног оспособљавања за полагање испита за провераваче и ревизоре безбедности саобраћаја. Доступно на: https://www.abs.gov.rs/static/. Последњи пут виђено: 20.09.2025.
17. Peymani P, Heydari ST, Hoseinzadeh A, еt all. Epidemiological characteristics of fatal pedestrian accidents in Fars Province of Iran: a community-based survey. Chin J Traumatol. 2012;15(5):279-83.
18. Reddy NB, Hanumantha, Madithati P, Reddy NN, Reddy CS. An epidemiological study on pattern of thoraco-abdominal injuries sustained in fatal road traffic accidents of Bangalore: Autopsy-based study. J Emerg Trauma Shock. 2014 Apr;7(2):116-20.
19. Gjerde H, Normann PT, Christophersen AS, Samuelsen SO, Mørland J. Alcohol, psychoactive drugs and fatal road traffic accidents in Norway: a case-control study. Accid Anal Prev. 2011 May;43(3):1197-203.
20. Toro K, Hubay M, Sotonyi P, Keller E. Fatal traffic injuries among pedestrians, bicyclists and motor vehicle occupants. Forensic Sci Int 2005; 151(2‒3): 151‒6.
21. Dirlik M, Bostancioglu BC, Elbek T, Korkmaz B, Callak Kallem F, Gun B. Features of the traffic accidents happened in the prov ince of Aydin between 2005 and 2011. Ulus Travma Acil Derg 2014; 20(5): 353‒8.
22. Ahlner J, Holmgren A, Jones AW. Prevalence of alcohol and other drugs and the concentrations in blood of drivers killed in road traffic crashes in Sweden. Scand J Public Health. 2014. 42(2):177-83.
23. International Transport Forum (ITF) (2025). Serbia: Road Safety Country Profile 2024. OECD Publishing. (Country profile prepared from IRTAD data). Available at: https://www.itf-oecd.org/sites/default/files/serbia-road-safety.pdf Last visited: 23.09.2025.
24. Slović Ž., Vitošević K., Todorović D., еt al. The prevalence of alcohol in road traffic accidents fatalities in Central Serbia. Iran J Public Health. 2022. 51(8):1906-1908.
25. Pešić D., Antić B., Smailović E., Marković N. Driving under the influence of alcohol and the effects of alcohol prohibition - Case study in Serbia. Traffic Inj Prev. 2019. 20(5):467-471.