Frequency, causes and human impact of motor vehicle-related road traffic accident (RTA) in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract

Objectives Road traffic accident (RTA)-related trauma remains a public health issue. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency, causes and human impact of motor vehicle-related RTA in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo. Methods A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in the first semester of the year 2015 in which 288 drivers (144 RTA-causing drivers and 144 control drivers who have been declared not guilty by road safety agents) involved in 144 motor vehicle-related RTA were interviewed, and only data on all RTA involving two motor vehicles with at least four wheels were recorded and analyzed.Results Results showed a total of 144 RTA that involved two motor vehicles with four wheels occurring during the study period which affected 104 people, including 93 injury and 11 fatality cases. The mean age of RTA-causing drivers was 33.8 ± 7.4, whereas it was 35 ± 8.8 for control drivers. The majority of RTA-causing drivers (53.4 %) did not attend a driving school. Over speeding (32 %), distracted driving (22 %), overtaking (16 %) and careless driving/risky maneuver (15 %) and driving under the influence of alcohol (9 % Conclusion This study showed a relatively high frequency of RTA occurring in Lubumbashi and suggests the necessity to reinforce road traffic regulation.

Fractures due to Road Traffic Accidents Referred to Orthopedic Department – Al Hadra University Hospital: A Single-Center Observational Study

“…Regarding timing of the accident, 45.3% were at morning, 34.7% were mid-day, and 20% were at night. This finding is consistent with an investigation done in India by (Singh .,2017) who reported that RTAs were most common between 9am-9pm and less common in the early morning and late at night (Zhang et al .,2017), while it was slightly contradicted by Nangana et al, (2016) in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo who found that RTAs were high in the 5-8pm time range followed by 9am-12pm and low in the early morning (5-8am).…”

Paediatric road traffic injuries in Lilongwe, Malawi: an analysis of 4776 consecutive cases

“…We have no data indicating the role of alcohol in this study, but alcohol-related RTIs are a well-documented problem in other African countries, 14–16 and a recent study from our hospital showed that alcohol was involved in about 9.5% of admissions for all types of adult injuries. 17 The WHO recommends strong policies and enforcement of drunk driving laws 1,18 and this would likely improve the safety of all road traffic users, but further studies on alcohol use in Malawian drivers are needed.…”

“…12 A recent controlled study from Tanzania demonstrated the effectiveness of a combined programme of education and simple infrastructure modifications on paediatric RTIs around schools, especially on motorcycle-pedestrian RTIs and private vehicle-pedestrian RTIs. 13 We have no data indicating the role of alcohol in this study, but alcohol-related RTIs are a well-documented problem in other African countries, [14][15][16] and a recent study from our hospital showed that alcohol was involved in about 9.5% of admissions for all types of adult injuries. 17 The WHO recommends strong policies and enforcement of drunk driving laws 1,18 and this would likely improve the safety of all road traffic users, but further studies on alcohol use in Malawian drivers are needed.…”

Optimisation of Driver’s Traffic Literacy Evaluation Index from the Perspective of Information Contribution Sensitivity

“…According to estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO), about 1.35 million people die from road traffic injuries, which means that 3,700 people die from road traffic accidents every day (2018) [1]. Other studies have proved that human factors cause more than 90% of traffic accidents [2,3]. e practice has proven that relying solely on largescale transportation facilities cannot fundamentally alleviate urban transportation problems.…”