Pattern of fatal Injuries in Road Traffic Accidents in & around Jammu region: An Autopsy Based Study

Fatal road traffic accidents (RTA) are considered as a major cause of death all over the world. Approximately 1.35 million people die as a result of RTA worldwide. That account for almost 3700 deaths per day due to road traffic accidents. The aim of this study was to know the injury pattern from fatal road traffic accidents either found dead on arrival or died during treatment and presented in the mortuary of Govt. Medical college & hospital, Jammu. During the study period out of total 181 cases of medicolegal autopsies 87 cases were of fatal road traffic accident.

Among the age group 31–40 years, highest number (31.03%) of road traffic fatalities occurred. Males predominated over the female by almost four and a half times. Most common external injuries were seen in Head, Neck & face (34.82%) followed by lower extremities (17.58%) with abrasion dominated (57.24%) follower by laceration (23.1%). Abdomen and Pelvis were least involved among other injuries (11.03%). Fracture of the skull was the most frequently fractured bone (28.96%) whereas the pelvis and the spine were the least fractured bones with 3.44% & 1.37% respectively. Brain was the most commonly injured internal organ seen on autopsy(34.69%).