Objective: to identify the magnitude and factors associated with death and serious injuries among victims of traffic accidents in the urban area of Goiânia, Brazil., Methods: cross-sectional study with linkage between records of the Mortality Information System (SIM) Hospital Information System of the Brazilian National Health System (SIH/SUS) and occurrences of traffic accidents, from January to June 2013; Poisson regression was used., Results: among 9,795 identified victims, there were 155 deaths and 1,225 serious injuries; cyclists (Incidence ratio [IR]=2.26; 95%CI 1.19;4.30) and pedestrians (IR=2.12; 95%CI 1.26;3.58) had an increased risk of death, while the risk of serious injuries was higher among motorcyclists (IR=2.38; 95%CI 2.01;2.83), cyclists (IR=2.35; 95%CI 1.76;3.13) and pedestrians (IR=2.83; 95%CI 2.27;3.53)., Conclusion: the study revealed a number of deaths and serious injuries, closer to the real and identified vulnerable groups to plan traffic safety actions. more...