Epidemiology of pedestrian fatalities in manipal: A retrospective study

Road traffic accident (RTA) is a major price we pay for urbanization. Forecast suggests that by the year 2020, RTA will move to 6th place as a cause of death & disability. Pedestrians injured in automobile accidents constitute one of the most frequent serious problems in management for emergency room surgeon. With increasing RTAs, pedestrian injuries as well as fatalities are on a rise. Factors responsible for pedestrian fatalities include pedestrian factors such as disobeying the traffic rules, walking or playing on the road, children darting or running on the road, failure to yield right of way and alcohol intoxication, while driver factors include failure to keep proper lane, alcohol intoxication and failure to yield right of way. Our study of pedestrian fatalities was for a period of 5 years in Manipal, a coastal township in south of Karnataka state includes the study of pattern of injuries among pedestrians. The results of the study are compared with studies done elsewhere in India and abroad.