A study to determine the prevalence of safety belt use and the service rendered to road traffic accident victims

Abstract

The study was carried out in two parts:This was carried out in December 1986. A total of four hundredand fourteen (414) drivers were interviewed at two road toll stations:Ruiru and Athi River on safety belt use. Vehicles fitted with safety belts were 158 (77.1%) in AthiRiver and 150 (71.8%) in Ruiru. The prevalence of use of safety belts was found to be as follows:- at Athi River (31.6%) 50 drivers using the belts as compared to (23.3%) 35 drivers in Ruiru. Among front seat passengers using safety belts were as follows:- at Athi River (27.2%) 47 were using belts as comparedto only (10.8%) 17 in Ruiru. Thus there was a generally low safety belt use along the Thika road as compared to the Mombasa road. may be due to the generally longer distances expected to be covered along the Mombasa road as compared to the relatively shorter distances to be covered along Thika route. The second part of the study was carried out .between January and april of 1987. A total of seventy five (75) patients were interviewed Kenyatta National Hospital (63) and Nairobi Hospital (12), concerning cious aspects of road accidents they had had. 28 (37.3%) were drivers (29.3%) were front seat passengers; and 25 (33.3%) were back seat passengers. Modes of transport to hospital from accident sites were as llows: private means 50 (66.7%); police vehicle 18 (24.0%); Hospital ambulance (1.3%) went by self 2 (2.7%); don't know 4(5.3%). Estimated time taken at accident site before transportation to hospital was as follows: 15 minutes 23(30.30.7%), 16-30 min 23(20.7%), 30-45 min 7(9.3%), 46-60 min 6(8.0%),60 min 4(5.3%), don't know 12 (16.0%) . Interval between registration and being seen by medical personnel was: 30 min 65(86.7%), 30 min 2(2.7%), don't know 8(10.7%). Of the seventy five vehicles involved in the accidents 27(36.0%) were fitted with belts. Of the drivers interviewed 10(35.7%) were using belts. Of the passengers interviewed (front) 5(22.7%) were using the safety belts. Injuries diagnosed were: Head injury 22(13.1%), fracture upper limbs 20(11.9%), fracture lower limbs 70(41.7%), fracture pelvis 4(2.4%), fracture spine 10(6.0%), fracture ribs 11(6.5%), soft tissue injury 31(18.5%). The recommendations include educating of the drivers of the importance of the use of safety belts, to encourage the fitting of safety belts on the vehicles without and to closely supervise and control the quality and cost of the safety belts. These measures are better taken before legalising the use of safety belts. There is need to increase the ambulance services to accident victims in and around Nairobi. There is also need to train all drivers on elementary firstaid as they appear to be quite useful in transporting accident victims to the hospital. Overspeeding is quite frequent in Nairobi leading to more accidents and serious injuries. There is need to control the speed of vehiclesin Nairobi.