Authors
Dr. Azia Manzoor Bhat, Dr. Wasim Mazoor Bhat
Abstract
Deaths due to road traffic accidents are one of the common forms of unnatural death and its history is as old as the invention of the wheel. To study the pattern of Intracranial hemmorrhages in cases of two wheelers without wearing helmet in fatal road traffic accidents in Mangalore. All cases of road traffic accidents involving fatal head injuries among two wheelers which underwent autopsy at the Wenlock District Hospital and Justice K.S Hegde charitable Hospital, Mangalore from January 2009 to December 2013 were included in the study. A proforma was prepared accordingly to collect the details about the pattern of skull fractures and also about intracranial haemorrhages were obtained and entered in the proforma. Out of total 101 cases of RTA with two wheelers 91.09% had not used helmet while only 8.91% were wearing helmet. Majority of the cases (36.96%) not using helmet were 20-29 years of age. Among helmet non users 94.57% cases were male. Diffuse Extravasation of Blood from Scalp (41.3%) was observed most commonly followed by combined Extravasation from Frontal, Parietal and Temporal region (14.13%) among the non-helmet users. No brain injury was diagnosed in 26.09% cases. Among the non-helmet user victims diffuse brain injury was seen in 30.43% cases while frontal lobe was involved in 26.09% cases. Thus we conclude that Sub arachnoid haemorrhage and Sub Dural haemorrhage was the most common intracranial haemorrhages in cases of two wheelers without wearing helmet in fatal road traffic accidents in Mangalore. Keywords: Intracranial haemorrhages, fatal road traffic accidents, two wheelers without wearing helmet.
Introduction
Death is the ultimate truth among the two extremes of the life. But unnatural death is always a surprise and is known for its immense striking power. Road traffic accident deaths are one of the common forms of unnatural death and its history is as old as the invention of the wheel (Johnson et al., 1995). The extensive and irrational vehicle uses for different purposes have increased the nature of assaults and accidental fatalities (Mestri, 2020). The shearing, strains and biophysical motion (mechanical forces) that occur during accidents to the head are responsible for patterns of injuries. Road traffic accident is the third major preventable cause of death (Ravikumar, 2013). In many countries less attention was given to the need of two wheelers and pedestrians when roads are planned and built to allow motor vehicles to travel faster. Injury to the head following two wheeler accidents is the commonest cause of mortality and morbidity.
In traffic accidents Motor cyclists are about 25 times more likely to die than passenger car occupants (Traffic Safety Facts, 2009). About 20% of deaths in RTA are in motor cycle accidents (National Crime Records Bureau, 2008; Gupta et al., 1979). Majority of the people were young males who are in the productive period of life. This places heavy burden on the family social and medical resources. Two wheeler riders are more vulnerable to RTA and for sustaining injuries because they do not have protective shell around them as compared to those inside vehicles. They are at more risk when their needs have not been taken into consideration during the construction of roads. The present study was undertaken to compare the injury pattern in drivers and pillion riders in two wheeler accidents.
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| APA Style | Manzoor Bhat, Azia, and Wasim Manzoor Bhat. “Pattern of Intracranial Haemorrhages’ in Cases of Two Wheelers Without Wearing Helmet in Fatal Road Traffic Accidents in Mangalore.” Academic Journal of Forensic Science, vol. 5, no. 2, Oct. 2022, pp. 30–36. |
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