Low visibility due to fog, smog and reduced daylight hours has resulted in a spike in the number of accidents, leading to a higher number of trauma patients in the Capital’s hospitals this winter.
According to sources, some hospitals in the city are witnessing an alarming rise of 15 to 20 per cent in accident cases. Interaction with patients revealed that many accidents took place because drivers could not locate the road dividers due to poor visibility.
“Most victims were riding two-wheelers. An automobile accident is likely to cause extensive orthopaedic injuries, besides psychological trauma. Knee and ligament injuries are the most common. Most accident victims experience profuse bleeding, and often receive injuries to their internal organs,” said Dr Umar Zahoor Shah, head of emergency services, Indian Spinal Injuries Hospital.
Dr Ishwar Singh, senior consultant and head of department, anesthesiology, critical care and emergency care, Venkateshwar Hospital in Dwarka, said: “Even on Monday, the fog was dense, reducing visibility to 100 m. A woman and her child had come in after the vehicle they were travelling in hit a stone that was dislodged from the median. Both of them suffered minor injuries. We are advising all our patients to drive carefully.”
Talking about safety measures, Dr Nikhil Seth, senior ophthalmologist at the Asian Institute of Medical Sciences in Faridabad, said: “Driving in heavy fog is like driving with a blindfold on. Statistically, it is the most dangerous driving hazard. The safest thing to do is to move well off the road and wait for the fog to lift. When driving in fog, reduce your speed and turn your headlights on. Think about how far you can see and how long it will take for you to stop. Keep an eye on your speedometer.”
In India, a large number of private vehicles and mixed traffic push up the risk of accidents. As per National Crime Records Bureau data, 1,48,707 people in India died in road accidents in 2015. In all, 4,64,674 accidents were reported in the year. When compared to the figures in 2014, the number of road accidents in 2015 increased by 3.1 per cent, while the fatalities increased by 5.1 per cent.
