INJURIES and fatalities occur in all forms of transportation, but, numerically, road accidents account for the great majority worldwide. They have become the most common cause of unnatural deaths among people below 50 years of age. According to a study, one road accident occurs every 4 minutes and one person dies every 5 minutes in India. The number of accidental deaths per lakh population was 24.3 in 1995. Goa topped the list, followed by Daman and Diu, Maharashtra, Pondicherry and Delhi. City-wise Mumbai was the most accident prone, followed by Delhi.

Pedestrians, being the most common road-users in India, are the most common victims of road fatalities. They are followed by two-wheeler users.

Increased pace of mechanisation, increasing number of fast moving vehicles, unskilled or semiskilled drivers, drunken drivers and the woefully inadequate road area have ushered in this man-made epidemic in India. Ignorance and intentional violation of traffic rules, encroachment of roads by shopkeepers, hawkers and stray animals play an important role in contributing to the increase of vehicular accidents.

An analysis of the cases for postmortem examination brought to the Department of Forensic Medicine, Govt. Medical College & Hospital, Sector 32, Chandigarh, from 1994 to June 2000 shows that 42.5 per cent of the cases autopsied were of traffic fatalities.

People in their most active period of life (21-40 years) were the most accident- prone. They were involved in 52 per cent of the traffic fatality cases.

Children below 10 year and people above 60 years, accounted for 4 per cent of cases each.

Men outnumbered women as the principal victims -- 83 per cent of the cases, as compared to 17 per cent (Table -1). The male- female ratio was 5, which implies that one womas is killed on the roads for every 5 men in Chandigarh and nearby areas. This figure is high, when compared to the male- female ratio in Delhi (8), or Jammu (7). The reason for this could be that women constitute an appreciable percentage of the two-wheeler users here. Moreover, wearing of helmets, though mandatory for women also, is not enforced in letter and spirit though it is strictly enforced in case of men. Female two-wheeler users have outnumbered the males as victims of fatal vehicular accidents in the recent past, jumping from 19 per cent in 1999 to about 80per cent in 2000 (up to 31st October).

Pedestrians were involved in 42 per cent of fatalities. They wer followed by motor cyclists (25% cases) and cyclists (13% cases). (Table- 2). Buses were the most common offending vehicles, claiming the lives of 26.2 per cent people. Cars were the next, being responsible for the deaths in 18 per cent cases, unlike in Delhi where unknown vehicles (hit- and- run cases) were the next most common offending vehicles. This could be due to the fact that the nouveau-riche younger generation, who are the most common drivers of the ever-increasing population of private cars here, drive recklessly.

Most deaths (23%) took place either on the spot or within an hour of the accident. 61per cent people died within 24 hours. Head injury was the most common cause of death (58% cases). Some element of head inju ry was also present in another 15.2 per cent cases. This means that ‘head injury’ played an important role in the death of 73.2 per cent of victims of the traffic-fatalities in the last six years. Suggestions:

Considering the above, following preventive measures are suggested:

1. A pilot centre to elicit the cause of motor vehicle accidents and their prevention to be set-up. Police and forensic experts to be the two main workers to put in a combined effort and study the problem with a special attention towards the ever increasing population, increased pace of mechanisation and number of fast moving vehicles.

2. Strict implementation of traffic rules, with heavier penalties. Special attention to be paid to

— Drunken drivers.

— Unskilled or semiskilled drivers.

— Use of mobile phones and smoking while driving.

— Use of high beam lights & music system at high volume while driving within the city limits.

— Reckless and rash driving, etc.

3. It is suggested that the round-abouts be replaced by traffic lights, wherever possible, and wearing of helmets by the female users of two-wheelers (both drivres and pillion riders) be strictly implemented.

4. Separate tracks for cyclists to be made alongside the main roads and cyclists be made to use them compulsorily.

5. Use of cycle-rickshaws to be restricted to particular areas only. Proper licenses to be issued for the rickshaw-pullers and a minimum basic traffic and road sense be made a mandatory pre-requisite for the issuance of the same.

6. The malpractice of issuance of fake driving licenses by the concerned authorities/agencies should be curbed.

7. Educating the general public about the road safety measures should be taken up on war- footing by the authorities. Media, particularly, should play a more active role in this area.

8. Encroachment of roads by shopkeepers and hawkers should be dealt with strictly. Stray animals should be removed.

9. Properly planned and maintained wide roads can go a long way in preventing accidents.

10. Use of zebra crossing for crossing the road by pedestrians to be made compulsory. Violators to be penalised.

11. Periodic review and specialised training to traffic police constabulary should be imparted confirming to the ever changing reqirements of the area,and anticipating the future scenario.

12. More accident trauma centres should be established near all busy areas so that first aid and professional management can be undertaken promptly and in time.

13. Concept of children’s traffic park with proper practical guidance should essentially be incorporated in the curriculum of secondary and senior secondary school education.

14. The norms pertaining to the renewal of the driving licenses in case of the elderly need to be reviewed so far as the frequency and protocol of their medical check-up is concerned.

                        Age and Sex wise distribution of cases

Sr         Age group              Male %     Female %     Total (%)
No        in years

1.        0-10                   03.0         1.2                04.2

2.        11.20                 12.4          1.1               13.5

3.        21.30                 25.5          7.0               32.5

4.        32.40                 16.0          4.0               20.0

5.        41.50                 14.0          2.0               16.0

6.        51-60                 09.0         1.0               10.0

7.        -60                    03.0         1.2               04.2

Total                            82.9         17.54            100 (approx)

Accident victims

1.                    Pedestrians                         42

2.                    Motorcyclists*                     25

3.                    Cyclists                              13

4.                    Rest**                               11

5.                    Bus Passengers                    08

Total                                                        100 (approx.)

Sr No                Offending Vehicle              % of cases

1.                     Buses                                26.0

2.                     Cars                                 18.0

3.                     Others*                            15.0

4.                     Hit and run                        14.5

5.                     Trucks                              13.5

6.                     Two wheelers                    12.4

Total                                                       100 (approx.)

       * Motorcyclists involve all users of motorised two wheelers.

       * Tempo, van, jeep, tractors etc.

       ** Occupants of auto-rickshaws, cars vans, trucks etc.

— Dr Krishan Vij, Dr B.R. Sharma, Dr Dasari Harish, and Dr Vivek Sharma