Introduction:

Every day, 3 400 people are killed in road traffic accidents (RTA) in the world; thousands are injured or disabled each year from the same cause. In Colombia, a rate of 92.8 injured and 14.9 deaths per 100 000 inhabitants was reported in 2016.

Objective:

To describe the characteristics of RTA, clinical care and quality of life of people over 60 years of age with moderate or severe injuries in Medellín, Colombia, during the period 2015-2016.

Materials and methods:

Descriptive study of the characteristics of people over 60 years of age with moderate and severe injuries after a a RTA.

Results:

247 people were included in the study, of which 93.1% had moderate injuries; 94.1% of the severe injuries occurred when a pedestrian was hit. In 60.7% of the RTA, a motorcycle was involved. The overall WHODAS-II Score was 40.6 and the most affected operational domains were domestic activities, activities outside the home and mobility. In terms of quality of life, physical function, physical performance and change in health were affected.

Conclusion:

People over 60 years of age with RTA injuries were mostly pedestrians and motorcycles were the most frequent vehicle involved. RTA affected patients' quality of life and functioning.

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