Road Traffic Accidents in Uyo Urban, Akwa Ibom State: The Scourge of Motor Cycle Trauma

Abstract

A retrospective study of one thousand, two hundred accident victims managed in the State's apex hospital, the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital in the year 2002 is presented. The aim was to determine the scope of Road Traffic accidents in Uyo Urban, the hub of Akwa Ibom State commercial life, the role of motor cycles in the mishaps, the nature of trauma sustained; the bones commonly involved and the possible causes of the accidents: The data obtained, showed that motor cycles are involved in over 50% of the Road Traffic Accidents and account for about 73% of the total mortality 69 out of 1200 victims died (5.75%). Fractures of the Tibia and Fibula were the most common fractures sustained. Of a total of 782 fractures recorded, tibia accounted for 325 (41.5%) fibula 153 (19.6%) femur 99 (12.6%) skull 80 (10.2%) while radius and ulna bones accounted for 20 each (2.5%). Significantly relevant to these accidents were the alarming number of motorcycles on the roads, the personality and comportment of the individual riders, the time or period of occurrence of the accidents.