Road traffic accidents, falls and injuries 

Santosh Banjara, MSc. PHDE (2020)

Introduction
• All the accidents that occurs in the roads or due to the road traffic factors
are road traffic accidents.
• The problem of accident is a very acute in highway transportation due to
complex flow pattern of vehicular traffic, presence of mixed traffic along
with pedestrians. Traffic accident leads to loss of life and property.
• Road traffic accidents (RTAs) have emerged as an important public health
issue which needs to be tackled by a multi-disciplinary approach.
Causes
• Road users: Excessive speed and rash driving, violation of traffic rules, failure to
perceive traffic situation or sign or signal in adequate time, carelessness, fatigue,
alcohol, sleep, etc.
• Vehicle: Defects such as failure of brakes, steering system, tyre burst, lighting
system.
• Road condition: Skidding road surface, pot holes, ruts.
• Road design: Defective geometric design like inadequate sight distance,
inadequate width of shoulders, improper curves design, improper traffic control
devices and improper lighting.
• Environmental factors: Unfavorable weather conditions like mist, snow, smoke
and heavy rainfall which restrict normal visibility and makes driving unsafe.
• Other causes: Improper location of advertisement boards, gate of level crossing
not closed when required, etc
Preventive measures
• Road reconstruction
The number of vehicle on the road increases from year to year, which introduces
complications into organization of traffic, sharply reduces the operation and
transportation characteristic of road and lead to the growth of accidents need to be
properly marked so that the reconstruction can be planned accordingly.
• Channelization
The channelization of traffic at intersection separates the traffic stream travelling in
different direction, providing them a separate lane that corresponds to their
convenient path and spreading as far as possible the points of conflict between
crossing traffic streams.
• Road signs
Road signs are integral part of safety as they ensure safety of the driver himself (warning
signs) and safety of the other vehicles and pedestrians on road (regulatory signs). Driver
should be able to read the sign from a distance so that he has enough time to understand
and respond. It is essential that they are installed and have correct shape, colour, size and
location.

 Other methods
 Street lighting
 Improvement in skid resistance
 Road markings
 Guide posts with or without reflector
 Guard rail
 Driver reviver stop
 Constructing flyovers and bypass
 Regular accident studies
Safety measures related to enforcement
• Speed control
Checks on spot speed of all vehicles should be done at different locations and
timings and legal actions on those who violate the speed limit should be taken.
• Training and supervision
The transport authorities should be strict while issuing licence to drivers of public
service vehicles and taxis. Driving license of the driver may be renewed after
specified period, only after conducting some tests tpo check whether the driver is
fit.
• Medical check
The drivers should be tested for vision and reaction time at prescribed intervals of
time.
 
 Safety measures related to education
• Education to road users
The passengers and pedestrians should be taught the rules of the road,
correct manner of crossing, etc. by introducing necessary instruction in the
schools of the children and by the help of posters exhibiting the serious
results due to carelessness of road users.
• Safety drive
Imposing traffic safety week when the road users are properly directed by
the help of traffic police as a means of training the public. Training courses
and workshops should be organized for drivers in different parts of the
country.
Treatment after accident (First aid in road accidents)
Many deaths and impact of injuries can be prevented with first aid if causalities are
treated immediately.
The basic aims of first aid are:
• To save life
• To protect the casualty from getting more harm
• To reduce pain and priorities of casualty treatment.
Immediate requirements in a RTA situation are as follow.
• Critical 4 min
One of the most common causes of a road accident death is due to loss of oxygen
supply. This is mostly caused by a blocked airway. Normally it takes less than 4 min
for a blocked airway to cause death.
 
• The “Golden hour”
The first hour after the trauma is called “golden hour”. If proper first aid is given,
road accident victims have a greater chance of survival and a reduction in the
severity of their injuries.
• National and international policies in RTA
Global good practice road safety programs over the past five decades have
convincingly demonstrated that road crash fatalities and injuries can be prevented
and their devastating burden substantially avoided. These are compelling reasons
to act on this urgent and achievable sustainable development priority. There is
considerable potential for Nepal to improve its road safety performance over the
coming decade. Road safety performance in Nepal can be reviewed in terms of
progress being made across the five pillars for action specified in the current UN
Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011–2020
• Pillar 1: Road safety management
• Pillar 2: Safer roads and mobility
• Pillar 3: Safer vehicles
• Pillar 4: Safer road users
• Pillar 5: Post-crash response
THANK YOU