Correlation between Road Conditions and Non-Fatal Road Traffic Accidents-A Prospective Study

Road Traffic Accidents (RTA) are one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. In this study, the authors have attempted to study the correlation between conditions of roads and incidence of non-fatal RTA admitted in Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute, Pondicherry.

The prospective study was conducted by the Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology and the Emergency Medicine Department, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute, Pondicherry. It was conducted from November 2012 to May 2014 and a total of 186 cases were taken. Only RTA cases admitted in the hospital were included and cases other than RTA, RTA cases admitted elsewhere or brought-dead cases were excluded from the study. Data was obtained by interviewing the victims or relatives of the victims. Informed written consent was taken. Medicolegal records, case sheets and lab or radiological reports were used for collecting additional data.

Majority of accidents (46.2%) took place on straight roads followed by narrow roads (23.7%), curved roads (17.2%) and junctions (12.9%). According to the type of roads, most cases (43.5%) occurred on tarred highways, followed by rural dirt roads (31.2%), tarred rural roads (21.5%), tarred city roads (3.2%) and cemented roads (0.5%).

Incidences of RTA are increasing by leaps and bounds in India. India has to take concrete steps to bring down incidence of such cases. With this view, the government has formulated the National Road Safety Policy. It is left to us citizens to see that such policies are strictly adhered to so that the coming years see a decline in the incidences of such cases.