Mode of death shifting from coma to syncope sports utility vehicle (SUV) accidents.

ABSTRACT

Road traffic accident is a major cause of death assuming epidemic proportion worldwide. After America, India has the largest network of roads. The total length of the road is about 33, 44,000km, out of which national highways occupies only 2% of total road length, whereas they bear 20% of the traffic load. One of the main reasons of the overcrowding of the roads is the tremendous rise in number of vehicles due to increasing distance from residence to workplace, intensive marketing campaign of newer sports utility (SUV) cars by depicting them in movies, media advertisements and easy finance availability has developed a craving to possess these sports utility vehicles in youths (both in males and females). These sports utility vehicles are nowadays becoming the rapid killer of the victims met with road traffic accidents (pedestrians, pedal cyclist and motor cyclist). The present study is based on prospective and retrospective cases of road traffic accidents involving SUV’s, since January 2005 to December 2006. The present study has shown that young adults predominantly males in their most productive year of life (21-30 years) are especially prone to road traffic trauma2. Pedestrians constitute the largest group of victims 78 cases (65%) followed by cyclist 18 cases (50%), spot death unavoidable in 83 cases (55.33%) and the thoraco-abdominal trauma found in 97 cases (80.83%)2,4. The findings of study under score the continue need for preventive strategies; aim to reduce trauma related mortality, particularly those regarding road traffic safety. The study also suggest that the large proportion of death were preventable, if underlying lesion or sequelae of injuries had been promptly addressed but unfortunately the front design of these sports utility vehicles is responsible for causing thoraco-abdominal trauma, leading to rapid death by causing haemorrhagic shock generated from involvement of the structures of thoraco-abdominal region.