Forensic Evaluation of Injury Pattern in Pedestrian Road Traffic Accidents in Karachi
Forensic Evaluation in Pedestrian Road Traffic Accidents
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54393/pjhs.v6i5.2170Keywords:
Accidents, Autopsy, Head Injury, Pedestrian-Related InjuriesAbstract
Pedestrian-related injuries are among the top of all road traffic-related injuries in Pakistan. Objectives: To determine the pattern of injuries and responsible factors for pedestrian fatality due to road traffic accidents in Karachi. Methods: This retrospective study was carried out at the Department of Forensic Medicine, Karachi Institute of Medical Sciences. Victims involved in pedestrian road traffic accident fatalities, belonging to either gender of any age from three major hospitals in Karachi, were evaluated. Information was recorded in a semi-structured written questionnaire. The multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed for multiple variables simultaneously and reports adjusted odds ratios to determine the independent contribution of each factor to pedestrian mortality. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 681 deceased pedestrians were examined and evaluated for the patterns and factors. The majority of the deceased were male (81.0%) with a mean age of 34.7 ± 2.9 years. The highest proportion (39.2%) of fatalities due to RTA was reported in the 18-30 years’ age group. Over two-thirds (74.6%) of accidents took place on the main roads of the city. Common injuries that resulted in death included fatal injuries to the brain and associated vessels (64.4%) and thoracic injuries (14.7%). Conclusion: The findings highlight a significant prevalence of male victims, particularly in the 18-30 age group, with brain injuries being the leading cause of death. The analysis also emphasizes the critical role of accident timing, with peak fatalities occurring between 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm, and on main roads.
References
Sherin A. Road Safety: A Major Public Health Issue. Khyber Medical University Journal. 2021 Mar; 13(1): 1-3.
Wu D, Yang T, Yang XY, Hoe CH, Peng S, Yu L. Behavioral and Psychosocial Correlates of Road Traffic Injuries: Evidence from A Nationwide Study on Chinese Undergraduates. Traffic Injury Prevention. 2020 Aug; 21(6): 375-81. doi: 10.1080/15389588.2020.1770236.
Rosen HE, Bari I, Paichadze N, Peden M, Khayesi M, Monclús J et al. Global Road Safety 2010–18: An Analysis of Global Status Reports. Injury. 2022 Jul; 56(6): 110266. doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2022.07.030.
Tavakkoli M, Torkashvand-Khah Z, Fink G, Takian A, Kuenzli N, de Savigny D et al. Evidence from the Decade of Action for Road Safety: A Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Interventions in Low and Middle-Income Countries. Public Health Reviews. 2022 Feb; 43: 1604499. doi: 10.3389/phrs.2022.1604499.
Razzaghi A, Soori H, Kavousi A, Abadi A, Khosravi AK, Alipour A. Risk Factors of Deaths Related to Road Traffic Crashes in World Health Organization Regions: A Systematic Review. Archives of Trauma Research. 2019 Apr; 8(2): 57-86. doi: 10.4103/atr.atr_59_19.
Feroz T, Naz K, Ilyas M. Perception and Practices Towards Road Safety Rules and Regulations Amongst Pakistani Population. Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Research. 2024 Apr; 4(2): 65-71. doi: 10.61919/jhrr.v4i2.777.
Faizan K and Abid A. Forensic Investigation of Road Traffic Accident Cases in Pakistan and Types of Physical Evidence. 2021. doi: 10.35484/pssr.2021(5-IV)32.
Dirnbach I, Kubjatko T, Kolla E, Ondruš J, Šarić Ž. Methodology Designed to Evaluate Accidents at Intersection Crossings with Respect to Forensic Purposes and Transport Sustainability. Sustainability. 2020 Mar; 12(5): 1972. doi: 10.3390/su12051972.
Nogayeva S, Gooch J, Frascione N. The Forensic Investigation of Vehicle–Pedestrian Collisions: A Review. Science and Justice. 2021 Mar; 61(2): 112-8. doi: 10.1016/j.scijus.2020.10.006.
Amadasi A, Cerutti E, Spagnoli L, Blandino A, Rancati A, Gallo C et al. The Toll of Traffic-Related Fatalities in A Metropolitan Italian Area Through the Experience of the Department of Legal Medicine. International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion. 2016 Apr; 23(2): 197-205. doi: 10.1080/17457300.2014.992347.
Henary BY, Crandall J, Bhalla K, Mock CN, Roudsari BS. Child and Adult Pedestrian Impact: The Influence of Vehicle Type on Injury Severity. In Annual Proceedings/Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine. 2003; 47: 105.
Dultz LA, Frangos S, Foltin G, Marr M, Simon R, Bholat O et al. Alcohol Use by Pedestrians Who Are Struck by Motor Vehicles: How Drinking Influences Behaviors, Medical Management, and Outcomes. Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery. 2011 Nov; 71(5): 1252-7. doi: 10.1097/TA.0b013e3182327c94.
Sacco MA, Gualtieri S, Spiliopoulou C, Tarallo AP, Aquila I. The Contribution of Forensic Medical Investigations in Road Accident Deaths. Cureus. 2025 Mar; 17(3). doi: 10.7759/cureus.81166.
Zahran ES, Tan SJ, Tan EH, Mohamad'Asri Putra NA, Yap YH, Abdul Rahman EK. Spatial Analysis of Road Traffic Accident Hotspots: Evaluation and Validation of Recent Approaches Using Road Safety Audit. Journal of Transportation Safety and Security. 2021 Jun; 13(6): 575-604. doi: 10.1080/19439962.2019.1658673.
Torbaghan ME, Sasidharan M, Burrow M, Usman K. Lessons from Road Safety Research and Policy Engagement in Pakistan, Nepal, Tanzania. 2019.
Wasif M and Ahmad I. Pattern of Injuries in Road Traffic Accidents at Peshawar: An Autopsy-Based Study. Journal of Medical Sciences. 2022 Dec; 30(04): 289-93. doi: 10.52764/jms.22.30.4.11.
Carroll CP, Cochran JA, Price JP, Guse CE, Wang MC. The AIS-2005 Revision in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: Mission Accomplished or Problems for Future Research? In Annals of Advances in Automotive Medicine/Annual Scientific Conference. 2010 Jan; 54: 233.
Touahmia M. Identification of Risk Factors Influencing Road Traffic Accidents. Engineering, Technology and Applied Science Research. 2018 Feb; 8(1) :2417-21. doi: 10.48084/etasr.1615.
Shah SA abs Ahmad N. Road Infrastructure Analysis with Reference todoi: Traffic Stream Characteristics and Accidents: An Application of Benchmarking Based Safety Analysis and Sustainable Decision-Making. Applied Sciences. 2019 Jun; 9(11): 2320. doi: 10.3390/app9112320.
Riaz I and Shahid S. Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice of Drivers Towards Traffic Rules and Regulations in Multan, Pakistan. In 7th International RAIS Conference on Social Sciences. 2018 Feb. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.3152120.
Uddin MJ, Mansoora I, Mohaimen MS, Chowdhury MI, Hossain MN, Khan RH et al. Evaluation of Pattern and Distribution of Injuries among Road Traffic Accident Cases. EAS Journal of Biotechnology and Genetics. 2021: 95-8.
Khurshid A, Sohail A, Khurshid M, Shah MU, Jaffry AA. Analysis of Road Traffic Accident Fatalities in Karachi, Pakistan: An Autopsy-Based Study. Cureus. 2021 Apr; 13(4). doi: 10.7759/cureus.14459.
Chaturvedi Y, Khan RN, Rautji R, Radhakrishna KV. Pattern of Injuries in Road Traffic Accidents Cases Reporting to Accident and Emergency Department of a Hospital in Maharashtra. IP International Journal of Forensic Medicine and Toxicological Sciences. 2020; 4(4): 140-2. doi: 10.18231/j.ijfmts.2019.032.
Hb K and Ks G. Pattern of Pedestrian Injuries During Road Traffic Accidents in Autopsied Cases at Belgaum Institute of Medical Sciences, Belagavi. International Journal of Forensic Medicine. 2020; 2(2): 4-7. doi: 10.33545/27074447.2020.v2.i2a.23.
Yadav K, Atal DK, Chawla H, Yadav R, Khan M, Yadav RP. Pattern of Injuries in Victims of Fatal Road Traffic Accidents in Southern Haryana: An Autopsy-Based Study. Prof. SK Dhattarwal. 2024 Jul; 18(3): 85. doi: 10.37506/k8qyjk97.
Talpur MG, Qayyum SA, Mangi A, Ram H, Qadri NA, Nahyoon AW. Forensic Evaluation of the Patterns of Fatal Injuries Among Pedestrians in Road Traffic Accidents in Hyderabad, Pakistan. Journal of Muhammad Medical College. 2020; 11(2): 62-7. doi: 10.62118/jmmc.v11i2.159.
Jagnoor J, Sharma P, Parveen S, Cox KL, Kallakuri S. Knowledge is Not Enough: Barriers and Facilitators for Reducing Road Traffic Injuries amongst Indian Adolescents, A Qualitative Study. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth. 2020 Dec; 25(1): 787-99. doi: 10.1080/02673843.2020.1746675.
Shirmohammadi H, Hadadi F, Saeedian M. Clustering Analysis of Drivers Based on Behavioral Characteristics Regarding Road Safety. International Journal of Civil Engineering. 2019 Aug; 17: 1327-40. doi: 10.1007/s40999-018-00390-2.
Iqbal A, Rehman ZU, Ali S, Ullah K, Ghani U. Road Traffic Accident Analysis and Identification of Black Spot Locations on Highway. Civil Engineering Journal. 2020 Dec; 6(12): 2448-56. doi: 10.28991/cej-2020-03091629.
Additional Files
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Pakistan Journal of Health Sciences
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This is an open-access journal and all the published articles / items are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. For comments
