Public health crisis of road traffic accidents in India: Risk factor assessment and recommendations on prevention on the behalf of the Academy of Family Physicians of India

Abstract

Roads are considered a sign of development bringing colossal benefits to community as socioeconomic and logistic facilitator. Yet, growth of road network has brought road crashes leading to civic pain from premature deaths of productive age group. In 2017, 16 citizens were killed and 53 injured every hour on Indian roads as per officially reported data, while a fair number go unreported. This is unacceptably high when compared with international standards. Risk correlates of road traffic injuries (RTIs) need to be redefined so as to form a continuum with other confounding factors that impact to take lives on road. Risk factors impacting RTIs vary from human components to the roles and responsibilities of healthcare stakeholders. We should have made roads safer for all citizens because a large percentage of population – children, pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and the elderly – are most vulnerable. A taskforce was set up by the Academy of Family Physicians of India to scientifically analyze the literature available to assess risks and put forward appropriate recommendations.

Perception on Road Traffic Injuries and Safety in New Delhi: A Qualitative Study among Victims, their Attendants and General Public

“…A number of studies regarding above-stated reasons such as over speeding, helmet use behaviour, phone use while driving and pedestrian behaviour have reported the same. 3,[5][6][7] According to a study in the city of Toronto, using a cellular telephone was associated with a risk of having a motor vehicle collision that was about four times as high as that among the same drivers when they were not using their cellular telephones.8 In a study Klauer et al, among novice drivers in Virginia (USA), dialling or reaching for a cell phone, texting, reaching for an object other than a cell phone, looking at a roadside object such as a vehicle in a previous crash, and eating were all associated with a significantly increased risk of a crash or near-crash. Among experienced drivers, only cell-phone dialling was associated with an increased risk.…”

Making Our Roads Safer for the Citizens of India

“…Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are estimated to constitute onefourths of global disability adjusted life year (DALY) loss and are going to become the third top causes of DALY loss by 2020 from the existing ninth place. 1 Road safety is a vital paradigm of quality of life to bring holistic socioeconomic and logistical paybacks to global health. 1 Despite RTIs being predictable and to a large extent preventable, global road safety agenda was out of vision for long times.…”

“…1 Road safety is a vital paradigm of quality of life to bring holistic socioeconomic and logistical paybacks to global health. 1 Despite RTIs being predictable and to a large extent preventable, global road safety agenda was out of vision for long times. 2,3 The speedy growth and development of the road linkages in India with the increase in number of motorized vehicles have led to a considerable escalation in intensities, quantities, magnitude, and expansion, on a countrywide scale, of commuter and cargo movements.…”

Need for a framework document on building competency in injury prevention

“…Went through with interest article entitled “Public health crisis of road traffic accidents in India: Risk factor assessment and recommendations on prevention on behalf of the Academy of Family Physicians of India” published in Journal of Family medicine and primary care (2019; 8:775-83). [1] The authors deserve credit for coming up with recommendations and thereby attracting attention toward road traffic injuries. The Academy of Family Physicians of India needs to build on these recommendations and come out with a framework document on building competency in injury prevention across all healthcare settings in India.…”