Road traffic collisions in Bursa, Turkey, during 2003, 2004 and 2005

To highlight the demographic pattern of road traffic injuries in Bursa and to improve emergency care and health facility-based treatment.

Records of all registered road traffic collisions maintained by the Uludağ University Emergency Department in Bursa for the period 2003 to 2005 and trauma files of 1307 road traffic collision victims were examined in this study. A form was designed to document patients' age, gender, type of trauma, time of trauma (hour, day, month and year), type and time to hospital of transport, presence of safety devices, presence of alcohol and blood alcohol concentration, localisations of wounds, trauma scores and outcomes.

Of the 1307 cases, 418 (32%) were female and 889 (68%) were male. Ages ranged from 3 months to 87 years; mean age (+/-S.D.) was 34.8 (+/-17.3) years. The mean (+/-S.D.) ages of women and men were 35+/-17.6 and 34.7+/-17.2 years, respectively. Trauma was most commonly sustained within the motor vehicle (72.2%), followed by pedestrian injuries (21.7%), motorcycle injuries (5.5%) and bicycle injuries (0.6%). Collisions were most frequent in summer (34.7%) and on Fridays and weekends (48.5%). Seat belts were used in only 1.8% of incidents. In 90 cases (6.9%) alcohol was found in the blood; mean blood alcohol concentration was 139.2+/-88.3mg/dl.

The identification of RTC characteristics may contribute to the development of injury prevention measures. Road travel requires extra attentiveness at peak accident times. Seat-belt use should increase, as well as use of other safety equipment such as collision helmets. Shorter transportation time of casualties to hospital would improve outcome.