Year : 2007, Volume : 7, Issue : 2
First page : ( 20) Last page : ( 28)
Print ISSN : 0972-5687. Online ISSN : 0974-083X. Published online : 2007  1.

Preventing Injuries by Addressing Human Factors in Causation of Road Traffic Crashes

Sharma B. R. Dr.^1,*

¹MD, Professor, Dept. of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Govt. Medical College & Hospital, Chandigarh-160030, India

*E-mail: drbrsharma@yahoo.com

Abstract

Road Traffic Injuries are responsible for a substantial fraction of morbidity and mortality and are responsible for more years of life lost than most of human diseases. The cost in human misery, permanent impairment and lost resources is also considerable. The human behavioural factors are said to collectively represent the principal cause of three out of five Road Traffic Crashes and contribute to the causation of 95% of these accidents. The other factors being - the vehicle having a poor design/capability for impact protection/technical faults and the road with poor design/conditions. We reviewed the literature pertaining to various human factors and classified them into those associated with long-term and short-term reduction in driving capability with an aim to suggest prevention of road traffic injuries based on human behaviour modification.

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Keywords

Accident proneness, Driving behaviour, Driving capability, Risk factors, Risk taking, Road traffic crashes (RTC), Road traffic injury (RTI).

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