The pattern of injuries in 470 pedestrains killed in road accidents

A survey is presented of injuries received in 470 road accidents involving fatal injuries to pedestrians. A comparison is made between the absolute incidence of fatal major injuries in pedestrians and that in the occupants of vehicles. Whereas head and chest injuries in combination are also major causes of death in pedestrians, the greater frequency of traumatic lesions of the spine and lower extremities in pedestrians was to be expected. As in the case of car occupants, the contribution to death of aspirated blood and vomitus was extremely high.