*Department of Forensic Medicine, Allahabad, U.P.
**Department of Pharmacology, M.N.L Medical College, Allahabad, U.P.
***Department of Gynae & Obs, H.I.MS, Jolly Grant, Dehradoon,
****Department of Hospital Administration, AIIMS, N-Delhi.
A total of 2246 medico-legal autopsies were conducted in the mortuary of SRN Hospital of MLN Medical College, Allahabad, during one year study period, out of which nine hundred and fifty (42.29%) cases were due to fatal road traffic accidents (RTA). Only 52.21% of victims could be hospitalized and rest of them (47.79%) either succumbed on the spot or died on way to hospital. 32.42% of RTA victims survived beyond 24 hours and a very small percentage (11.15%) of the hospitalized cases could receive any specific treatment prior death.
Male/Female ratio was 3:1. The principal age group involved in fatal RTA was 25–44 years, 33.68%, and least involved were extremes of ages i.e. below 10 years, 5.38%, and above 65 years, 7.37%. Maximum fatalities were in winter months 42.64%, followed by summer 32.73%. Single vehicle was responsible for 83.15% of cases followed by double vehicles 14.74% and triple vehicles accounted for only 0.31 %of cases. Maximum fatalities 83.05% were recorded on highways and only 6 cases occurred in lanes. Pedestrians accounted for 35.79% of total fatalities followed by motorized two wheelers (motor cyclists, scooterist, mopeds etc) 30.53% of cases. The majority of fatal RTA were due to heavy vehicles (trucks, buses etc), 58.52% of cases followed by light vehicles (car, Jeep, van, taxi etc) 21.58%. The site of initial impact was frontal in 45.14% followed by rear in 25.89%. Regarding external injuries, primary impact injuries were observed in 455 cases, secondary impact injuries in 505 cases and secondary injuries in 697 cases. More often, the lower extremities and pelvis were involved in the primary impacts, and head & neck in the secondary impacts while secondary injuries were located mostly in the lower extremities. Mostly pedestrians 42.20% suffered crushing injuries, and lower extremities were mostly crushed 29.64% followed by head & neck 19.86%. Avulsion or degloving injuries were recorded more commonly with motorcyclists 41.45% followed by pedestrians 34.01%. Contre-coupe injuries of the brain were recorded in 9.03% of cases. The heavy vehicles were mostly responsible for causing a large number of visceral injuries. Brain was found to be injured in a majority of cases followed by liver and lungs. The victims mostly died of head injuries alone followed by thoraco-abdominal injuries in combination with head injuries.
