Epidemiological study of victims of two wheeler road traffic accidents: a tertiary care hospital based study

Abstract

Introduction: Road Traffic Accidents (RTA) can be defined as “An accident that occurred on a way or street open to public traffic; resulting in persons being killed or injured and where at least one moving vehicle was involved”. Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) have emerged as a new health challenge in the world leading to injuries, disabilities and loss of precious human lives, apart from causing a substantial economic burden on the family concerned, as well as, on the nation. A road traffic fatality is considered to be a “death occurring within 30 days of a road traffic crash”.Methods: Our study entailed a prospective study of 400 patients admitted in the emergency ward under the Department of Surgery, in Government Medical College, Jammu, as sufferers/victims of two-wheeler road traffic accident. The data was collected from sufferers/ victims. In cases where the patients were not in a condition to give the history, the information was collected from the attendants or police personnel or any other person accompanying the victim in the causality and/or an eye-witness to the accident.Results: The present study highlights that two wheeler road traffic accidents are a serious threat to the youth. Victims were mostly males. The current study also reveals that human factors have a more important role to play as compared to the environmental and vehicle factors in the occurrence of two wheeler road traffic accidents.Conclusion: According to the present study, the important aspects that need attention are speeding, drink driving, no use of helmets, distracted driving due to use of mobile phones or listening to music and disobedience of traffic rules while driving.