Road Traffic Fatalities: A Retrospective Study

Accidents, unfortunately, are not often due to inexperience, but are due to negligence, recklessness and rashness. Human automobile and environmental factors play roles not only during but also before and after a traumatic event. Road traffic mishaps, therefore, can be considered in terms of agent, host and environmental factors. The present study is a retrospective observational study.

In the study period of two years from January 2014 to December 2015, a total of 181 road traffic accident cases which were subjected to Autopsy at Osmania General Hospital Mortuary were studied. All the cases were scrutinised for age, sex, type of vehicle and cause of death as a result of road traffic accidents.

The major age group affected was 21–30 years (28.17%) and the least age group affected was between 71–80 years (1.1%). In majority of Cases Head and Face was affected. In present study motor cyclist accident constituted to the majority of the traffic collisions (38.67%), which was followed closely by pedestrians using road, the least affected were the bicycles who constituted to only 0.55% percent of the collisions. The males constituted to the majority of the collisions and the ratio of male: female was 5.4: 1.

Demographic characteristics of the victims and injury pattern.

Percentages, Critical ratio

There is an immediate need to focus on prevention of road traffic accidents, spread awareness among general population about importance of following road traffic rules and fatalities associated with rash and negligent driving.