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Characteristics of road traffic accident casualties admitted to a tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka

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Abstract

The mortality and morbidity of road traffic accidents (RTA) is increasing in the South Asian region, including Sri Lanka. Therefore, the demographic factors, types of vehicles involved, and the severity of injuries sustained in RTA was studied. Age, gender, and details of the incident of all patients admitted to hospital following a RTA, between January 2007 and August 2012, were obtained by interview. Following a medico-legal examination, the type and severity of injuries was categorized as, non-grievous, grievous, endangering life or fatal in the ordinary course of nature. Of the 579 RTA casualties examined, 72% were males, 28% females, and 26% were in the 20–29 year age group. There were 44% passengers, 32% drivers, and 20% pedestrians. Of the 440 vehicle occupants, 37% were on motor cycles, 28% in three wheelers, 13% in dual purpose vehicles and 11% in buses. Of the 114 pedestrians, 33% had been struck by motor cycles, 19% by three-wheelers and 17% by dual purpose vehicles. There was at least one soft tissue injury in 84%, whilst 45% had one or more fractures. In 85% of bicycle riders, the injuries were grievous, endangering life or fatal in the ordinary course of nature. A high proportion of young adults sustained grievous injuries due to RTA. Almost two thirds of the casualties resulted from motorcycle or three wheeler accidents. Laws limiting the number of passengers carried, installation of side doors, mandatory use of seat belts in three wheelers, and protective garments for motorcyclists are recommended.

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Acknowledgements

The grant by AuthorAid at the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP), Oxford, UK, for the 1st author to attend the three week intensive course in research writing 2016, at Texas A&M University, USA, where this manuscript underwent peer review, which enabled improvement and completion is gratefully acknowledged.

The authors wish to thank Ms. Manthika Wijewardena for assisting in the data entry process.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

    Dinesh M. Fernando & Medhani Wickramasinghe

  2. Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

    Sampath U. Tennakoon

  3. Teaching Hospital Kandy, Kandy, Sri Lanka

    Achini N. Samaranayake

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  1. Dinesh M. Fernando
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  2. Sampath U. Tennakoon
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  3. Achini N. Samaranayake
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  4. Medhani Wickramasinghe
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Correspondence to Dinesh M. Fernando.

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Disclosures

A presentation based on this study titled ‘an analysis of casualties presenting to teaching hospital Peradeniya following road traffic accidents’, was done at the 14th annual academic sessions of the College of Forensic Pathologists of Sri Lanka, in March 2016, and was awarded the prize for the best research paper.

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Fernando, D.M., Tennakoon, S.U., Samaranayake, A.N. et al. Characteristics of road traffic accident casualties admitted to a tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 13, 44–51 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-016-9828-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-016-9828-3

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