Medico-Legal Update
  • Year: 2019
  • Volume: 19
  • Issue: 1

Profile of Mortalities due to Alcohol and Drug Consumption in Road and Rail Traffic Accidents in Mangaluru, a Coastal City of Karnataka, India

  • Author:
  • Subham Sarthak1, B. Suresh Kumar Shetty2,, PP Jagadish Rao3, H Pavanchand Shetty3, Haniel D'Souza3, Adithi S Shetty4, M S Kotian5
  • Total Page Count: 5
  • Page Number: 113 to 117

1Undergradute Student, Dept. of Forensic Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education

2Professor and Head, Dept. of Forensic Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education

3Associate Professors, Dept. of Forensic Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education

4Associate Professor, Dept. of Obstetric and Gynecology, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education

5 Selection Grade Professor, Dept. of Comminity Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education

*Corresponding Author: Dr B Suresh Kumar Shetty Professor and Head, Department of Forensic Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) Mangaluru-575001, Karnataka, India. Phone: +91 9886092392 Email: sureshbshetty.2009@rediffmail.com; suresh.shetty@manipal.edu

Online published on 28 February, 2019.

Abstract

Several studies have demonstrated that driving under influence of alcohol and psychoactive drugs increases the risk of fatal accidents & hence increased mortality rates. This paper presents a retrospective study of Road & Rail traffic accidents in Mangaluru.

Over a six-year period (2010–2015), a total of 5226 autopsies were conducted at Govt. Wenlock Hospital, Mangaluru out of which 1261 were Vehicular accidents (1117-Road, 144-Rail). Various parameters were looked in these cases such as age groups, gender, type of Vehicle involved, Victim status, time of day, day of the week (weekdays/weekend), Season, type of intoxication, accident site etc.

15.85% (n = 177) of all the Road Traffic Deaths & 9.72% (n=14) of all Rail deaths occurred as a consequence of either alcohol (16.83%, n=188/191) or drug overdose (n=3). 42.93% of victims belonged to 56 and above age group. Most commonly the e the vehicle which were involved in accident were motorcycles (around 51.83% cases).

The results of this study reveals a strong positive association between the presence of alcohol and psychoactive drugs in road & rail traffic accident victims. The matter of grave concern is increasing trend of drunken driving leading to fatal accidents among adolescent age-groups especially in motorcycle vehicles.

Keywords

Road Traffic Accident, Rail traffic Accidents, Alcohol, Psychoactive drugs, Mangaluru, mortality