Medico legal aspects of injuries sustained by occupants of three wheelers in road traffic crashes : a study conducted in a tertiary care hospital in the central province of Sri Lanka

Abstract

Introduction

Injuries and death due to road traffic accidents (RTA) are a major public health problem in third world countries like Sri Lanka. Sixteen percent of all vehicles used in Sri Lanka are three-wheelers. Statistics reveal a high incidence of impacts involving three- wheelers in Sri Lanka.

Objectives

To determine the nature of the incident, nature of injuries and mechanism of causation of injury due to road traffic crashes among patients admitted to a tertiary care unit in Kandy, Sri Lanka.

Methodology

Data on socio-demographic profile, type of occupant, nature of the incident, mechanism of causation of injury, type of injury, region of the body affected and severity of injury were retrieved from Medico-Legal Examination Forms (MLEF)of patients admitted after three-wheeler crashes to the Teaching Hospital Peradeniya from 2016 to 2018. Data were analyzed using SPSS VERSION22.

Results

The commonest incident was the toppling of the vehicle (55%). Most injuries were sustained by the impact on an object inside the three-wheeler (44%). The commonest injury seen was abrasion (63%) and the majority of injuries were non-grievous (68%). Lower limb was the most affected (45%). More rear passengers were injured than drivers (62%). There was no significant difference in injury pattern between driver and rear passenger group.

Conclusion

Toppling was the commonest type of incident with most injuries being abrasions and sustained by rear-seat passengers by the impact on objects within the three-wheeler.