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Introduction Although road traffic injuries in Spain are decreasing, they still constitute a major public health problem. During 2008, 134047 people suffered road traffic injuries and 3100 lost their lives [...], Objective To determine the effect of criminalizing some traffic behaviours, after the reform of the Spanish penal code in 2007, on the number of drivers involved in injury collisions and of people injured in traffic collisions in Spain. Methods This study followed an interrupted times-series design in which the number of drivers involved in injury collisions and of people injured in traffic collisions in Spain before and after the criminalization of offences were compared. The data on road traffic injuries in 2000-2009 were obtained from the road traffic collision database of the General Traffic Directorate. The dependent variables were stratified by sex, age, injury severity, type of road user, road type and time of collision. Quasi-Poisson regression models were fitted with adjustments for time trend, seasonality, previous interventions and national fuel consumption. Findings The overall number of male drivers involved in injury collisions dropped (relative risk, RR: 0.93; 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.89-0.97) alter the reform of the penal code, but among women no change was observed (RR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.95-1.03). In addition, 13 891 men (P< 0.01) were prevented from being injured. Larger reductions were observed among young male drivers and among male motorcycle or moped riders than among the drivers of other vehicles. Conclusion The findings suggest that criminalizing certain traffic behaviours can improve road safety by reducing both the number of drivers involved in injury collisions and the number of people injured in such collisions. Objectif Determiner l'effet de la criminalisation de certains comportements routiers, apres la reforme du Code penal espagnol en 2007, sur le nombre de conducteurs impliques dans des collisions avec blessures et le nombre de personnes blessees dans des collisions en Espagne. Methodes Cette etude a suivi un plan chronologique interrompu dans lequel le nombre de conducteurs impliques dans des collisions avec blessures et le nombre de personnes blessees dans des collisions de la route en Espagne ont ete compares avant et apres la criminalisation des delits. Les donnees sur les blessures dues a des accidents de la route sur la periode 2000-2009 proviennent de la base de donnees des accidents de la route de la Direction generale de la Circulation. Les variables dependantes ont ete stratifiees par sexe, age, gravite de la blessure, type d'usager, type de route et heure de la collision. Des modeles de regression quasi-Poisson ont ete adaptes a la tendance temporelle, a la saisonnalite, aux interventions precedentes et a la consommation de carburant. Resultats Le nombre total de conducteurs de sexe masculin impliques dans des collisions avec blessures a diminue (risque relatif, RR: 0,93; 95% d'intervalle de confiance, IC: 0,89-0,97) apres la reforme du Code penal, mais chez les femmes, aucun changement n'a ete observe (RR: 0,99; 95% de CI: 0,95-1,03). L'initiative a en outre permis a 13 891 hommes (P Conclusion Les resultats indiquent que la criminalisation de certains comportements routiers peut ameliorer la securite routiere en reduisant a la fois le nombre de conducteurs impliques dans des collisions avec blessures et le nombre de personnes blessees dans de telles collisions. Objetivo Determinar el efecto de criminalizar ciertos comportamientos de trafico, tras la reforma del Codigo Penal espanol el 2007, sobre el numero de conductores implicados en colisiones con lesionados y en el numero de personas lesionadas de trafico en Espana. Metodos Este estudio siguio un diseno de sedes temporales interrumpidas, en el que se comparo el numero de conductores implicados en colisiones con lesionados y el numero de personas lesionadas de trafico antes y despues de la criminalizacion de dichos comportamientos. Los datos de las lesiones de trafico entre los anos 2000 y 2009 se obtuvieron de la base de datos de accidentes de Irafico de la Direccion General de Trafico. Las variables dependientes se estratificaron por sexo, edad, gravedad de la lesion, tipo de usuario de la via, tipo de via y momento de la colision. Se ajustaron modelos de regresion Quassi-Poisson, ajustados por tendencia lineal, estacionalidad e intervenciones previas. Resultados El numero total de hombres conductores implicados en colisiones con lesionados descendio (riesgo relativo, RR:0,93; intervalo de confianza al 95%: 0,89-0,97) tras la reforma del Codigo Penal, si bien no se observaron cambios significativos en el caso de las mujeres (RR:0,99; IC 95%: 0,95-1,03). Ademas, 13 891 hombres (P Conclusion Los resultados sugieren que la criminalizacion de determinados comportamientos de trafico puede mejorar la seguridad vial reduciendo tanto el numero de conductores implicados en colisiones con lesionados como el numero de personas lesionadas en colisiones de trafico.

Objectives. We assessed the effectiveness of the penalty points system (PPS) introduced in Spain in July 2006 in reducing traffic injuries. Methods. We performed an evaluation study with an interrupted time-series design. We stratified dependent variables--numbers of drivers involved in injury collisions and people injured in traffic collisions in Spain from 2000 to 2007 (police data)--by age, injury severity, type of road user, road type, and time of collision, and analyzed variables separately by gender. The explanatory variable (the PPS) compared the postintervention period (July 2006 to December 2007) with the preintervention period (January 2000 to June 2006). We used quasi-Poisson regression, controlling for time trend and seasonality. Results. Among men, we observed a significant risk reduction in the post-intervention period for seriously injured drivers (relative risk [RR]=0.89) and seriously injured people (RR=0.89). The RRs among women were 0.91 (P=.095) and 0.88 (P Conclusions. The PPS was associated with reduced numbers of drivers involved in injury collisions and people injured by traffic collisions in Spain. (Am J Public Health. 2010;100:2220-2227. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2010.192104)