Road traffic accident autopsy cases: Injury pattern and alcohol use

Road traffic accidents are one of the most common causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. The number of deaths associated with road traffic accidents is increasing day by day. The most common causes of road traffic accidents are overspeeding, driving under the influence of alcohol and other drugs, bad road conditions, poor build quality of vehicles, and non-use of seatbelts and helmets while driving. This observational retrospective study was conducted to find out the pattern of injuries sustained, cause of death, and alcohol use while driving in the bodies brought for autopsy in a Government Medical College of Northern India from 2021 to 2023.

This observational retrospective study was conducted in the Department of Forensic Medicine in a Government Medical College of Northern India for a period of 3 years (2021 to 2023). The data of all road traffic accident autopsy cases were collected in a predesigned study proforma from the autopsy reports, inquest papers, and hospital records.

This study was conducted on 64 postmortem cases of road traffic accidents. The most common age group was 21-30 years (34.37%), followed by 31-40 years (18.75%). Out of 64 cases of deaths in a case of road traffic accident, 57 (89.06%) were males and only 7 (10.93%) were females. The most common external injury was abrasion (in 84.37% cases). The most common cause of death was head injury in 47 cases (73.44%), followed by hemorrhagic shock in 12 (18.75%) cases. The skull fractures were found in 33 (51.56%) cases, intracranial hemorrhage was found in 42 (65.62%) cases, and laceration over the brain was found in 3 (4.7%) cases. In this study, blunt trauma to the chest was found in 7 (10.94%) cases, and blunt trauma to the abdomen was found in 8 (12.5%) cases. Out of 64 cases, ethyl alcohol was detected in the chemical examination of the blood of the deceased in 17 (26.56%) cases. The lowest and highest blood ethyl alcohol concentration was found to be 15 mg% and 450 mg%, respectively. The blood ethyl alcohol concentration was found to be >250 mg% in 7 cases. The most common age group in which blood ethyl alcohol was detected is 21-30 years, followed by 31-40 years.

Young males are more prone to road traffic accidents. The most common fatal injuries were sustained to the head. The young male victims were found to be driving the vehicle after the consumption of alcohol. The stringent traffic laws, improved conditions of the roads, educating the young drivers, improved safety of the vehicles, and early medical intervention are the need of the hour.