Vulnerable road users in India:An assessment of road traffic accidents, injuries and deaths

Bornali Dutta, C Chandrashekhar

Abstract


There is a significant increase in the number of road traffic accidents (RTA), injuries and deaths in the last decade. Besides, the decade has witnessed a shift in the age pattern of mortality due to RTAs resulting a large number of relatively younger population is injured and killed. In addition, light motor vehicles cause more lives than heavy motor vehicles. Since 2000, there has been continuous increase in deaths of two wheeler users due to RTA and it accounts for the largest share of deaths in 2011. Largely, the vulnerable population is in the prime productive age group and males are more vulnerable to RTA injuries and deaths than females. On the other hand, fault of a driver is by far the most important cause of death due to RTA. Therefore, immediate intervention is called for, since there is no specific policy to mitigate road traffic accidents in India.


Keywords


road traffic accident; vulnerable population; prime productive age group; light motor vehicle; heavy motor vehicle

Full Text:

Download PDF

References


Basic Road Statistics of India. Transport Research Wing, Ministry Of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India.2010.

Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner. Primary Census Abstract, Government of India, New Delhi.2011.

Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India. National Crime Records Bureau 2011, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, New Delhi.

Global status report on road safety 2013-supporting a decade for action, World Health Organisation. Geneva: 2013; WHO.

Peden M, Scurfield R, Sleet D, Mohan D, Hyder AA, Jarawan E, et al. (ed.) World report on road traffic injury prevention Geneva: 2004;WHO.

Dandona R. Making road safety a public health concern with policy makers in India. National Medical Journal India. 2006; 19:126–133.

Sagberg F. Road accidents caused by drivers falling asleep. Accident Analysis and Prevention. 1999;31: 639-649.

Nantulya V and Reich M. Equity dimensions of road traffic injuries in low and middle income countries. Injury Control and Safety Promotion. 2003; 10: 13-20.

Mayou R and Bryant B. Consequences of road traffic accidents for different types of road users. Injury. 2003; 34:197-202.

Ganveer GB and Tiwari RR. Injuries patterns among non-fatal road traffic accident cases: a cross-sectional study in central India. Indian Journal of Medical Science.2005; 59: 9-12.

Dandona R, Kumar GA, Raj TS. Pattern of road traffic injuries in the vulnerable population in Hyderabad, India. Injury Prevention. 2006; 12:183-88.

Inclan C, Hijar M, Tovar V. Social capital in setting with high concentration of road traffic injuries-the case of Cuernavaca, Mexico. Social Science and Medicine. 2005; 61(9):2007-17.

Gururaj G. Road traffic deaths, injuries and disabilities in India: Current scenario. National Medical Journal of India. 2008; 21(1): 14-20.

Nupur P, Chandramouli BA, Sampath S,Devi BI. Patterns of head injury among drivers and pillion riders of motorized two-wheeled vehicles in Bangalore. Indian Journal of Neurotrauma. 2010; 7 (2):123-128.

Gururaj G. Injuries in India: A national perspective. In: Burden of disease in India: Equitable development—Healthy future. New Delhi:National Commission on Macroeconomics and Health, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. 2005;325–347.

Anil KG , Dilip RT, Dandona L, Dandoan R. Burden of out of pocket expenditure for road traffic injuries in urban India. BMC Health Services Research. 2012; 12:285.

Mohan D. Road Accidents in India. International Association of Traffic and Safety Science (IATSS Research.2009; 33 (1): 75-79.

Road safety is no accident: A Brochure for World Health Day. World Health Organization (WHO). 2004; Geneva.

Krug EG, Sharma GK and Lozano R. The global burden of injuries. American Journal of Public Health.2000; 90: 523-526.

Hyder AA, Amach OH, Garg N, Labinjo MT. Estimating the burden of road traffic injuries among children and adolescents in urban south. Asia. Health Policy. 2006; 77 (2): 129-139.

Dondana R and Mishra R. Deaths due to road traffic crashes in Hyderabad city in India: need for strengthening surveillance. National Medical Journal of India. 2004; 17:74-79.

Ameratunga S, Hijar M and Norton R. Road traffic injuries: confronting disparities to address a global-health problem. Lancet.2006; 367:1533-40.

Jha N and Agrawal CS. Epidemiological study of traffic accidents cases: a study from eastern Nepal. Regional Health Forum.2004; 8: 15-22.