Situation Analysis on Traffic Injury of Muang District, Chumphon Province

Abstract

According to Chumphon Provincial Health Office annual report and 1998-1999 trauma registry of Chumphon Hospital, injury was the first leading cause of death. The majority was traffic injury (70%). Muang District was the main area where the traffic injury taken place. To revise the pattern of the traffic in Muang District both descriptive epidemiological study and the cause of the traffic injury is the objective of this study. The study was based on the traffic injury records in the Chunphon Provincial Health Office and Chumphon hospital annual reports.The behavior on traffic safety equipment usage in Chumphon Municipal area was revised by observing the environment of the high risk area and conducting the qualitative study on the admitted traffic injury patients in Muang District. The result of this study should be proposed to the Provincial Accident Prevention Committee. This study found out that the major patients were male with 28.5 years average age. The motorcycle accident was the main cause of the traffic injury. The riders and passengers did not wear safety helmets (76 and 96.3% and 54.5% of the car drivers did not fasten the safety belts. The main road which the accidents often took place was Pethchakasame Road (76%). This road was the main one that leaded to the city and several tourist places. The characteristic of the road was narrow without road shoulder and road isle, no traffic signs and road lights and the traffic lights were broken. The patients intervieing found out that the traffic law control process was not stricted and people did not aware of traffic safety equipment usage. The riders and drivers usually drove with high speed and without driving skill, the divers played with the passengers while driving and the riders and the drivers was in anxious stage. There were livestock along the roadside. Eighty percent of the motorcycle riders had no driving license and 30% of them had no traffic insurance contact. It is recommended that the road condition and the traffic signs should be improved, the traffic law control should be more restricted and the traffic safety campaign should be conducted among the drivers and the people. The Provincial Accident Prevention Committee's activities should be followed up and evaluated in order to improve the work process in the proper way and suitable for the changeable problems.