An epidemiological study of road traffic accident cases admitted in a tertiary care hospital

Background

Road traffic accidents are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally. In India, more than a million are injured annually and about a lakh are killed in road traffic accidents.¹ It causes the country to lose around 55,000 crores annually which is 2–3% of Gross Domestic Production (GDP).² This cross sectional study was conducted to elucidate the role of various factors involved in road traffic accidents.

Methods

Road traffic accident cases admitted to a tertiary care hospital between 01 Oct 2009 and 28 Feb 2011 were included in the study. A total of 182 patients were studied. Information was collected through questionnaire, hospital records and on-site visit. OPD cases, comatose patients and deaths were excluded.

Results

Two-wheelers were the commonest vehicle involved in vehicular accidents. Most accidents happened at a speed of 40–60 km/h (37.9%). Most of the patients were aged between 20 and 30 years. Majority had a driving experience of less than 5 years. Monsoons witnessed 46.7% cases. Most cases occurred between 6 and 10 pm. Among severe injuries, the commonest was lower limb fractures (19.8%).

Conclusion

There are multiple factors associated with road traffic accidents which due to the lack of road safety measures in the country are playing their role. It is the need of the hour to address this issue and formulate comprehensive, scientific and practical rules and regulations as well as evaluate its enforcement.