Identification of risk factors for road traffic accidents using injured drivers: a cross sectional study conducted in Sri-Lanka

Abstract

Background: Road traffic accidents are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and a major cause of sudden deaths in Sri Lanka.Methods: This study was conducted to assess risk factors for RTAs using 360 injured drivers, admitted to the accident wards in two teaching hospitals in Kandy and Kurunegala using interviewer-administered questionnaires.Results: The majority of the study population (97%) was male and most drivers were 26-35 years of age. Motorcycles were the most common vehicle (79%) involved in RTAs and 47% of drivers had a driving experience of less than 10 years. The driving speed of 31-45 km/ h was reported in one-third of the RTAs and 76.9% of RTAs occurred on carpet roads mostly on Wednesdays and Fridays. Only 29 (8.055%) vehicles reported technical problems at the time of the RTA. There is a significant association (p<0.001) between the speed of the vehicle and the driving experience and the type of the vehicle and the age of the participants. There is an association between the type of the vehicle and the site of injury of drivers and between the speed of the vehicle and the usage of alcohol (P<0.01).Conclusions: Findings revealed that high risk for RTAs was amongst young male drivers, 26-35 years age range, who drove motorcycles. The most potential for RTAs to occur was on Fridays and Wednesdays and are more pronounced after 6 pm. The risk factors of RTAs are a result of a combination of several factors, as opposed to one.