Alcohol

Although alcohol is a known risk factor for traffic crashes, reliable data on the prevalence of driving under the influence of alcohol in developing countries are sparse. In Kenya, a survey of hospitalized patients revealed that of those being treated for traffic-related injuries, 40% of drivers and 20% of pedestrians reported being under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. A study in New Delhi revealed that one-third of hospitalized motorized-two-wheeler riders admitted to drinking alcohol and driving. Alcohol poses a huge threat to road users in South Africa. Data from the National Injury Mortality Surveillance System shows that of all fatal transport-related cases tested in 2001, >50% had elevated blood alcohol content (ВАС) and out of those, 91% exceeded the legal limit of 0.05 g/dl. Over 62% of pedestrian fatalities had an elevated ВАС and almost 25% had ВАС of >0.25 g/dl, more than five times the legal limit. In addition, >46% of drivers killed had ВАС of >0.05g/dl.

Mix of Road Users

Most developing countries have a blend of road users that is very different from that of industrialized nations. This mix varies depending on the region but typically consists of pedestrians, push carts, bicycles, mopeds/scooters/motorcycles, trucks, minibuses, buses and cars. Danger arises from this mixture of slow-moving, nonmotorized users and fast-moving, motorized users sharing the same road space. Suffer no more! Buy levitra plus online at a price you can afford.

Urban Versus Rural Differentials

The group of road users most often injured varies by region and geographic locale. In Asia, riders of two-wheeled vehicles and pedestrians are most commonly injured. Motorcycles and bicycles had the highest rates of injuries in 2001 for both urban and rural regions in Vietnam. Data from the Vietnamese Ministry of Transportation also indicate that urban traffic crashes are more frequent but that rural crashes are generally more severe. In India, these same road users account for 70-80% of all deaths due to RTIs, while occupants of cars account for only 5%. Africa sees most injuries and deaths being sustained by pedestrians in urban crashes and users of public transportation systems in rural crashes. In contrast to Vietnam, 60% of all injury-producing crashes in Kenya occur on rural intercity highways, but only 40% occur in urban regions. Due to crowded public transport vehicles being involved in rural crashes, the number of casualties per motor vehicle collision is greater on rural than urban roads. Studies in Kenya show that pedestrians as a whole are the most vulnerable of all road users, and this group experiences the greatest number of injuries and deaths from traffic crashes. Pedestrians in urban areas accounted for >70% of the total annual deaths due to road traffic crashes in 1998.
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In addition, a recent survey at Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi reported that pedestrians accounted for 65% of patients admitted for traffic-related injuries. Pedestrians in urban areas are also the most likely to be injured in Latin America and the Caribbean. In Colombia, traffic crashes are almost entirely an urban phenomenon, with only 10% of crashes occurring on rural highways. As a result, pedestrians made up nearly 68% of victims from traffic crashes in Bogota in 2000.