Objective: To describe the pattern of head injury among two wheelers in road traffic accidents in Uttar Pradesh.

Methods: A cross sectional study of total of 312 cases of deaths due to fatal road traffic accidents involving riders and pillion riders of two wheelers have been studied. All cases of deaths due to head injuries in fatal road traffic accidents involving riders and pillion riders of two wheelers of both sexes all age groups, treated and untreated, irrespective of duration of survival was included in the study.

Results: The mortality due to two wheeler RTA was highest among the age groups of 21-30 years of age (28.5%) and was lowest in the age >60 years (3.8%). The mortality due to two wheelers RTA was found to be higher among males (63.5%) than females (36.5%). The mortality due to two wheelers RTA was found to be higher among riders (69.9%) than pillion riders (30.1%). The mortality due to two wheelers RTA was found to be higher among whom accident occurred in afternoon (39.4%) than evening (25%), morning (21.8%) and mid-night (13.8%). The mortality due to two wheelers RTA was found to be higher among urban areas (69.2%) than rural (30.8%). The mortality due to two wheelers RTA was found to be higher among Depressed fracture of vertex (31.1%) than Communated Fracture of vertex  (25%), Basal Fracture  (24.4%), Linear Fracture of vertex   (14.1%) and Crush fracture of skull (5.4%). The mortality due to two wheelers RTA was found to be higher among EDH (46.8%) than ICH (21.2%), SDH (17.9%) and SAH (14.1%)

Conclusion: The human error is mainly responsible for fatal RTA. Though it is a most difficult task to control human errors involved, sincere efforts made in this direction can reduce the mortality. 

Keywords: Road traffic accidents, Head injury, Mortality.

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Dr Rajendra Kumar

Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, PIMS, Lucknow, UP, India