Prevention Of Road Traffic Accidents Research Articles

Proposed Remedies to Prevent Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) on Highways in Pakistan

In Pakistan, the number of roads and highways is increasing along with the number of road traffic accidents (RTAs). Many researchers attempted to collect data of RTAs and to investigate their causes. Keeping those causes and reasons for RTAs in mind, remedies to prevent RTAs on the highways in Pakistan are proposed to make the roads and highways safer for traveling.

Proposed Remedies to Prevent Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) on Highways in Pakistan

Proposed Remedies to Prevent Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) on Highways in Pakistan

Awareness and Practice of Road Safety Rules among Secondary School Students in Jaipur, Rajasthan

Abstract Introduction: More than 1.2 million people die each year on the world's roads. Most of these deaths are in low- and middle-income countries where rapid economic growth has been accompanied by increased motorization and road traffic injuries. Prevention of road traffic accidents thus becomes very crucial in order to improve the longevity and the quality of life of the individuals concerned. Objectives: To assess the level of awareness and practice of road safety rules among secondary school students. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 150 secondary school students aged between 13-17 years studying in selected government and private secondary schools of Achrol, Jaipur district, Rajasthan. The samples were selected through simple random sampling technique. A pre-designed and pre-tested structured multiple choice questionnaire and checklist was used for assessment of awareness and practice of road safety rules. The collected data was analysed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: With regards to awareness regarding road safety rules, 9(6%) had had poor awareness, 103(68.7%) had average awareness and 38(25.3%) had good awareness. With regards to practice regarding road safety rules, 6(4%) had had unsatisfactory practice, 108(72%) had partially satisfactory practice and 36(24%) had satisfactory practice. Conclusion: Majority of secondary school students had average awareness and partially satisfactory practice regarding road safety rules. Education reminding and strict enforcement of traffic rules can increase awareness and motivate them to strictly adhere to the traffic norms and help to reduce the morbidity and mortality due to road traffic accidents.

Magnitude of Severe Head Injury and Its Associated Factors among Head Injury Patients in Gedeo Zone, Southern Ethiopia: A Two-Year Retrospective Study.

Severe head injury is a major public health threat that is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in all age groups of the world's populations including Ethiopia. In view of this, this study was assessed the severity of head injury and its contributing factors. A Two-year retrospective study was conducted at Dilla University Referral Hospital, from December 2014 to November 2016. All head injury patients admitted to the surgical ward were included. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with severity of head injury. A total of 106 eligible head injury patient charts were reviewed. The magnitude of severe head injury was 32.1%. Young populations, mainly males, were the highest risk groups, and road traffic accident was the main cause of severe head injury. In adjusted analysis, age interval greater than 45 years (aOR, 5.41; 95% CI:1.05-29.09), alcohol consumption before the trauma (aOR, 4.16, 95%CI: 1.18, 14.61), delayed presentation (beyond 24 hours) after injury (aOR, 4.717; 95% CI: 1.02-21.81), and respiratory rate greater than 30 breaths per minute (aOR, 7.34; 95% CI: 1.88-28.73) were significantly associated with severe head injury. Severe head injury remains an important public health problem. Young adults were the highest risk groups of populations. Prevention of road traffic accidents, continuous awareness creation about the consequences of road traffic accident and close neurological monitoring offered by neuro-intensive care unit are recommended.

Solid organ injury in blunt trauma abdomen: an etiological evaluation and success rate of non-operative management

Background: Trauma remains the most common cause of death for all individuals between the ages of 1 and 44 years. 10% of these fatalities are attributable to abdominal injury. The Indian fatality rates for trauma are 20 times that for developed countries. The management of patients with blunt abdominal injury has evolved greatly over the last few decades from complete surgical management historically to present non operative management in most of the cases. In view of increasing number of road traffic accidents, rampant increase in construction work, accidental fall from height, this study is conducted to look into the causes of such incidents and also to strengthen the already established rules of non operative management in cases of blunt trauma abdomen.Methods: This is a prospective study of 53 patients who presented to K. R. Hospital, Mysuru, Karnataka, for management of blunt trauma abdomen over the period of January 2016 to June 2017. Unstable patients with initial resuscitation underwent Focused Assessment Sonography for Trauma. Failed resuscitation with free fluid in abdomen confirmed by FAST immediately shifted to operation theatre for laparotomy and proceed. Hemodynamically stable patients underwent computerized tomography of abdomen. Organ injuries were scaled according to the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma and these patients were managed conservatively after ruling out hollow viscus perforation.Results: Majority of the patients belonged to male sex (85%) and of the age group 21-40 years constituting 58.3% of patients. Road traffic accident was the most common mode of injury which included 35 patients (66%). A total of 19 cases had splenic injury out of which 13 (68.5%) underwent non operative management and 6 (31%) underwent emergency Splenectomy. liver injury was present in 15 patients and all were managed conservatively. In total non operative management was done in 73.5% of cases and surgical management was done in 26.5% of cases.Conclusions: The presence of free fluid with organ injury always does not mandate laparotomy. Patient selection, early diagnosis and repeated clinical examination and use of appropriate investigations forms the key in non operative management of blunt trauma abdomen. RTA being the most common mode of injury, adequate measures should be taken to prevent road traffic accidents by strict action and traffic norms and citizen education.

Burden of road traffic accidents in Nepal by calculating disability-adjusted life years

Objective To calculate the burden of road traffic accidents in Kathmandu Valley and then extrapolate this to the national level. Methods A prospective study was performed to compute the burden of road traffic accidents by quantification of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) using the Global Burden of Disease Study method on the basis of 1-year data from nine hospitals in Nepal and the Department of Forensic Medicine and cross-checked with the Nepal Traffic Directorate. Multiple methods were applied to the extrapolated population metrics of the burden of road traffic accidents in Nepal. Results The total number of years of life lived in disability, years of life lost, and DALYs in Nepal were 38,848±194, 119,935±1464, and 158,783±1658 (95% confidence interval) respectively. The number of years lost because of morbidity and death was similar in Kathmandu Valley. Most (75%) of the DALYs resulted from years of life lost in Nepal. Males accounted for 73% of DALYs. Almost half (44%) of the DALYs were contributed by the group aged 15–29 years. Conclusion This study is the first to calculate the burden of road traffic accidents in Nepal using Nepal’s own data. Nepal needs to develop and enhance its own system to identify significant public health issues so as to set national priorities for prevention of road traffic accidents.

Effectiveness of Structured Teaching Programme on Knowledge Regarding Prevention of Road Traffic Accidents Among Adolescents (13-18years) in Selected Schools of Baramulla Kashmir

Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of structured teaching program on knowledge regarding prevention of Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) among Adolescents (13-18years) in selected schools of Baramulla Kashmir. Method: Pre-experimental one group pre-test and post-test research design were used. The Sample was 62 adolescents studying in selected schools of district Baramulla selected by stratified simple random sampling technique and data was collected by administering structured knowledge questionnaire. Results: Data was analyzed and interpreted by using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Using SPSS: V-20, all the inferences were checked at 0.05 level of significance. The mean pre-test knowledge score was (19.40) which improved to (35.25) in post-test at (p 0.05). Conclusion: Structured teaching program improved the knowledge of adolescent students regarding prevention of RTAs.

RISK FACTORS IN ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENT IN THE CITY OF PALU, INDONESIA

Background: Traffic accidents are unpredictable events when they occurred. Thus, understanding the risk factors in road traffic injuries is needed.Objective: This study aims to analyze the risk factors in road traffic accidents in the city of Palu.Methods: This was an observational analytic study using case-control approach with sample of 182 respondents consisting of 91 cases and 91 controls. Purposive sampling was used based on a certain considerations made by the researchers themselves. Data were tested with Odds Ratio and analyzed by univariate and bivariate with a confidence level of 95%.Results: The results showed that the scatterbrained factor (OR = 3.180 95% CI 1.669 to 6.059), undisciplined behavior (OR = 11.990 at 95% CI 5.956 to 24.138), exceeding speed limit (OR = 4.230 95% CI 2.204 to 8.118 ), and no driving license (OR = 10.455 at 95% CI 5.274 to 20.722).Conclusion: This study concludes that the scatterbrained factor, undisciplined behavior, exceeding the speed limit, and no driving license are the risk factors for road traffic accidents in the city of Palu. It is recommended that all parties to cooperate with the good for the sake of safety and driving safety as well as prevention of road traffic accidents.

Effect of Structured Teaching Programme on Knowledge regarding Prevention of Road Traffic Accidents among Adolescents in Schools of Baramulla (Kashmir)

The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of structured teaching programme on knowledge regarding prevention of Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) among adolescents (13-18years) in selected schools of Baramulla, Kashmir. Pre-experimental one group pre-test and posttest research design was used. The sample had 62 adolescents studying in some schools of district Baramulla selected by stratified simple random sampling technique. The data collected by administering structured knowledge questionnaire was analysed and interpreted by using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Using SPSS: V-20, all the inferences were checked at 0.05 level of significance. The mean pre-test knowledge score was 19.40 which improved to 35.25 in post-test (p0.05). The structured teaching programme improved the knowledge of adolescent students regarding prevention of RTAs.

A study on road traffic accidents in Arar, Saudi Arabia

Background Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are responsible for a substantial portion of morbidity and mortality and are responsible for more years of life lost than most human diseases. Aim of the study The aim of this study was to determine the type and contributing factors to RTAs in Arar, Northern Saudi Arabia. Participants and methods A cross-sectional study was carried out on randomly selected drivers in Arar city, Northern Saudi Arabia, KSA. Data were collected from 407 drivers aged between 18 and more than 55 years using predesigned questionnaires, which include questions designed to achieve the study objectives. Results RTAs were frequent with persons aged less than 20 years old, with a percentage of 36.9%, followed by 33.9% in the age between 20 and 35 years old and just 1.7% above 50 years. Distraction habits while driving were as follows: 49.6% use the cellphone while they drive and 30.5% smoke. Most of the RTAs happened during sunny weather (63.9%) and rainy weather (13.5%). The most frequent occurrences of RTAs were angle collision (40.8%), back collision (19.9%), and hitting a fixed object (13.3%). Place of accidents was main road in 43.2% followed by crossroad in 20.9 and 11.3% at traffic light site. Limbs, head, and upper body parts were the most injuries (35.1, 23.6, and 10.6%, respectively). After treatment, 3.4% of the injured drivers have distortion as a permanent disability, 2.9% have paralysis, and 2.5% have a limp. In all, 5.2% of the accidents resulted in one death, 2.5% resulted in two deaths, and 86% of the accidents did not result in any deaths. Conclusion and recommendations The findings of the present study will be helpful in the prevention of RTAs and its associated complications and hence will be vital for policymakers, health service managers, and stakeholders.

Lower Limb Amputation at the 34 Military Hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone: Causes and Indications.

The global prevalence of diabetes mellitus is increasing substantially. This overall increment leads to the growth in the number of individuals with diabetic complications including lower limb amputation. In low-income countries like Sierra Leone, lack of access to adequate health care, poverty and social stigma attached to “amputation” all prevent people from seeking early medical treatment for diabetic foot. The purpose of this study was to document the causes and indications of lower limb amputations and to make appropriate recommendations to the health sector of Sierra Leone. This retrospective study was conducted at 34 Military Hospital, one of the major referral hospitals in Freetown, between January 2011 and December 2014. A team of medical staff was trained to extract data. The operating theatre and ward case records were searched for information (age, gender, cause and indication for amputation) of all the patients who underwent amputation during this period. The findings were statistically documented in tables. Twenty-seven patients (24 males and 3 females) were involved in the study. The age distribution was 15-65 years (Mean 43). Majority (77.7%) of the patients presented with gangrenous and infected diabetic feet, 18.5 % was due to Road Traffic Accident and 3.8% due to complication of HIV infection. The commonest level was transtibial amputation 85% and 67% was right sided. Hospital stay was 20-50 days (average 35). There was no postoperative mortality. As most amputations were done for diabetic feet, there is need for diabetes sensitization and prevention campaigns for the general public and improvement of diabetic care for individual patients including proper glycemic control and risk factors prevention. Increased funding is required by the health sector of Sierra Leone to implement these measures. Prevention of road traffic accidents by training/educating the drivers should also be considered by Sierra Leone Road Transport Authority.

MAXILLOFACIAL FRACTURES

Background: The incidence of maxillofacial fractures is greater in Pakistan.This research has the crucial aim of achieve and indexing maxillofacial injuries in poly traumapatients. Objectives: To assess the concomitant injuries with maxillofacial trauma. StudyDesign: Descriptive case series. Setting: The department of Emergency and Oral & MaxillofacialSurgery, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro. Period: Jan 2014 to Dec2015. Methods: Total 489 patients of both genders, aged ≥20 years were included. Results:more injuries 359 (73.40%) occurs among the age of 20-39 years. The mainly documentedetiologic factor for injury was RTA with 69.38%, followed by assault (16.76%), fall (11.04%)and sports injury was (2.87%). With respect to related injuries, a sum of 48 patients introducedhead injuries and other concomitant injuries. The most common fracture noted was mandible296 (60.53) followed by maxillary fractures 191 (39%), Zygomatic bone complex fractures 65(13.29%), Naso-orabital ethmoid fractures was 44 (8.99%), majority of patients 186 (38.0%)were arrived in morning time followed by 176 (35.9%) in evening, 88 (17.9%) in afternoon and 39(7.9%) in night, regarding the day’s most patients came on first working day that was Saturday142 (29.0%). Regarding hospital mortality, 11 (2.2%) people died within less than two days afteradmittance. Conclusion: The results of this study may support the oral surgeons to rule outother injuries at the time of primary survey and may have a key role in awareness of individualsin prevention of road traffic accidents.

Assessing the safety effects of cooperative intelligent transport systems: A bowtie analysis approach

The safety effects of cooperative intelligent transport systems (C-ITS) are mostly unknown and associated with uncertainties, because these systems represent emerging technology. This study proposes a bowtie analysis as a conceptual framework for evaluating the safety effect of cooperative intelligent transport systems. These seek to prevent road traffic accidents or mitigate their consequences. Under the assumption of the potential occurrence of a particular single vehicle accident, three case studies demonstrate the application of the bowtie analysis approach in road traffic safety. The approach utilizes exemplary expert estimates and knowledge from literature on the probability of the occurrence of accident risk factors and of the success of safety measures. Fuzzy set theory is applied to handle uncertainty in expert knowledge. Based on this approach, a useful tool is developed to estimate the effects of safety-related cooperative intelligent transport systems in terms of the expected change in accident occurrence and consequence probability.

Injury epidemiology in Iran: a systematic review.

:Background:Injuries are the second greatest cause of mortality in Iran. Information about the epidemiological pattern of injuries is effective in decision-making. In this regard, the aim of the current study is to elaborate on the epidemiology of injuries in Iran through a systematic review. Methods:Required data were collected searching the following key words and their Persian equivalents; trauma, injury, accident, epidemiology, prevalence, pattern, etiology, risk factors and Iran. The following databases were searched: Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, MagIran, Iranian scientific information database (SID) and Iran Medex. Some of the relevant journals and web sites were searched manually. The lists of references from the selected articles were also investigated. We have also searched the gray literature and consulted some experts. Results:Out of 2747 retrieved articles, 25 articles were finally included in the review. A total of 3234481 cases have been investigated. Mean (SD) age among these cases was 30 (17.4) years. The males comprised 75.7% of all the patients. Only 31.1% of patients were transferred to hospital by ambulance. The most common mechanism of injuries was road traffic accidents (50.1%) followed by falls (22.3%). In road traffic accidents, motorcyclists have accounted for the majority of victims (45%). Roads were the most common accident scene for the injuries (57.5%). The most common injuries were to the head and neck. (47.3%). The mean (SD) Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 8.1(8.6%). The overall case-fatality proportion was 3.8% and 75% of all the mortalities related to road traffic accidents. Conclusions:The main priorities in reducing the burden of injuries include: the young, male target group, improving pre-hospital and ambulance services, preventing road traffic accidents, improving road safety and the safety of motorcyclists (compulsory helmet use, safer vehicles, dedicated motorcycle lanes).

An access detection and machine cycle tracking system for machine safety

The high number of occupational accidents occurring every year in the industrial sector is still one of the main social policy action areas of governments worldwide. Both technical and human failures are often addressed as the main causes for accidents at work. However, the lack of full hazard prevention effectiveness from currently available Safeguarding Devices is another factor that should be considered, at least, from an engineering viewpoint. This paper presents a recently patented Access Detection and Machine Cycle Tracking System (ADMCTS) for industrial machinery with active safety purposes. Active safety paradigm has greatly succeeded in the automotive sector in the last years, dramatically improving road traffic accident prevention by means of active devices with real-time capabilities. Based on a dedicated Computer Vision System (CVS) for real-time video analysis of a monitored safety zone, the ADMCTS performs three main functions: access and presence detection of objects entering and/or remaining within the monitored zone, machine cycle tracking, and warning and alarm signal handling to ensure that machine functions are only allowed when workplace conditions are safe. Machine cycle tracking provides the ADMCTS with an adaptive risk assessment capability for optimal prevention. In order to provide a thoughtful description of its functionality, a state machine model of the ADMCTS is introduced, and a visual walk-through of this model, as applied on a generic cutting machine, is also discussed.

Speed detection device in preventing road traffic accidents: A realistic approach in India!

Speed detection device in preventing road traffic accidents: A realistic approach in India!

Road Accident Prevention with Instant Emergency Warning Message Dissemination in Vehicular Ad-Hoc Network.

A Road Accident Prevention (RAP) scheme based on Vehicular Backbone Network (VBN) structure is proposed in this paper for Vehicular Ad-hoc Network (VANET). The RAP scheme attempts to prevent vehicles from highway road traffic accidents and thereby reduces death and injury rates. Once the possibility of an emergency situation (i.e. an accident) is predicted in advance, instantly RAP initiates a highway road traffic accident prevention scheme. The RAP scheme constitutes the following activities: (i) the Road Side Unit (RSU) constructs a Prediction Report (PR) based on the status of the vehicles and traffic in the highway roads, (ii) the RSU generates an Emergency Warning Message (EWM) based on an abnormal PR, (iii) the RSU forms a VBN structure and (iv) the RSU disseminates the EWM to the vehicles that holds the high Risk Factor (RF) and travels in High Risk Zone (HRZ). These vehicles might reside either within the RSU’s coverage area or outside RSU’s coverage area (reached using VBN structure). The RAP scheme improves the performance of EWM dissemination in terms of increase in notification and decrease in end-to-end delay. The RAP scheme also reduces infrastructure cost (number of RSUs) by formulating and deploying the VBN structure. The RAP scheme with VBN structure improves notification by 19 percent and end-to-end delay by 14.38 percent for a vehicle density of 160 vehicles. It is also proved from the simulation experiment that the performance of RAP scheme is promising in 4-lane highway roads.

P.A.R.T.Y. An initiative for more risk awareness among young road users

Accident prevention strategies aim to inform young people about risk-taking behavior and the consequences of trauma. The Prevent Alcohol and Risk-related Trauma in Youth (P.A.R.T.Y.) program is an accident prevention program that focuses on the prevention of road traffic accidents among young road users. Initial results of the program were evaluated to find out if the implementation of this prevention program is feasible in Germany. During a 1-day interactive course young road users were introduced to the work carried out in an accident trauma unit and were informed about injury mechanisms and about the consequences of trauma. A systematic evaluation was made by all participants. The results were analyzed to find out whether it is possible to implement the program and the impressions gained by the participants of the program in order to be able to make further adjustments. A total of 219 young road users participated in the P.A.R.T.Y. program between 2011 and 2013. All participants reviewed the structure of the program with the help of school grades. Of the participants 59 % (n = 129) rated the program as "very good" and 41 % gave the rating of "good". Overall, 70 % of all participants advocated that all people of the same age should participate in the program. The structure was described as being well-balanced with respect to the theoretical and practical stations. The P.A.R.T.Y. program is a standardized and well-established concept that can also contribute to accident prevention in Germany. It provides the possibility to implement an accident awareness program throughout Germany. Initial results show that the program can be implemented in German hospitals and that the program appeals to the target group of young road users.

Knowledge regarding prevention of road traffic accidents among the adolescents in a community at Dharan Municipality

Descriptive study with the aim to assess knowledge regarding prevention of road traffic accidents was done by administrating self-structured questionnaire among 100 adolescents (between 10-19 years) at Dharan Municipality. Questionnaire includes the information regarding demographic and knowledge about meaning, causes and prevention of road traffic accidents. Among the respondents 55% were male and 45% were female. Driver responsibility and not obeying traffic signals for occurrences of RTA, use of safety seat belts for minimizing Road Traffic Accident, were the most responses provided 85%, 91% and 81% respectively. Overall, only 33.34% had good knowledge regarding prevention of road traffic accidents. The study concludes the need for knowledge about accident prevention.

Pattern of maxillofacial fractures in severe multiple trauma patients: a 7-year prospective study.

The incidence of facial trauma is high. This study has the primary objective of documenting and cataloging maxillofacial fractures in polytrauma patients. From a total of 1229 multiple trauma cases treated at the Emergency Room of the Santo Antonio Hospital - Oporto Hospital Center, Portugal, between August 2001 and December 2007, 251 patients had facial wounds and 209 had maxillofacial fractures. Aged ranged form 13 to 86 years. The applied selective method was based on the presence of facial wound with Abbreviated Injury Scale ≥1. Men had a higher incidence of maxillofacial fractures among multiple trauma patients (86.6%) and road traffic accidents were the primary cause of injuries (69.38%). Nasoorbitoethmoid complex was the most affected region (67.46%) followed by the maxilla (57.42%). The pattern and presentation of maxillofacial fractures had been studied in many parts of the world with varying results. Severe multiple trauma patients had different patterns of maxillofacial injuries. The number of maxillofacial trauma is on the rise worldwide as well as the incidence of associated sequelae. Maxillofacial fractures on multiple trauma patients were more frequent among males and in road traffic crashes. Knowing such data is elementary. The society should have a key role in the awareness of individuals and in prevention of road traffic accidents.