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Background and purpose: Road accidents are a major cause of mortality throughout the world especially in undeveloped and developing countries. Mazandaran Province in Iran has one of the busiest roads with a high rate of accidents and fatalities. Environmental and social conditions influence this problem. This study aimed at exploring the social and geographical pattern of mortality due to road accidents and hazardous regions of Mazandaran province were also determined. Materials and methods: This ecological study used the data from 2007-2010 recorded in Mazandaran province. The Information regarding the age, sex and place of accidents were collected. To analyze the data descriptive and inferential statistics were done using SAS (version 9.2). Results: A total of 2828 fatalities were found during the study period from which 78.7% were men and 21.3% were women. The mean age of men and women were 39.06 and 39.1 years, respectively. Mortality rate was higher in urban roads and among men (P<0.001). A significant correlation was seen between population density and mortality rates (P<0.032). Geographical pattern showed a higher risk of accidental mortalities in central to western regions of the province. Conclusion: The correlation between mortality rate and population density indicates lack of access to emergency services, delays in treatment of the injured person, and long distances to reach the nearest hospital. Therefore, more preventative programs should be carried out in hazardous areas to reduce the fatality rate.

Keywords: Mapping, mortality, accident, road, Mazandaran

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