Traffic Incidents, Seat Belts and Alcohol Consumption

KABUL(SW): Road Traffic incidents are one of the most common and at the same time the worst and severe causes of (injuries to head skull), traumatic brain injury, and injuries to the neck bones. Most often this problem is in the form of polytrauma and usually causes respiratory problems or shocks that results anemia for the patient.

In Australia, in 1970 the enforcement of making and usage of Seat Belts in the center seats of vehicles reduced the number of deaths caused by the blunt force to the head skull and brain.  

After one year of the implementation of this law in the United Kingdom in 1983, the casualties were reduced by 25%, and in three months of implementing this law in the city of Nottingham in London, the deaths caused by traffic accidents were reduced by 50 percent.

The traffic incident of motorcyclists, which reached 5000 in one year, and 75% of head injuries caused by this, killed 300 people.

The compulsory Seat Belts law in the United States of America was taken more serious than other countries, and hence the casualties caused by these incidents fell sharply.

Consumption of alcohol is also an important factor in damaging the skull. The concentration of alcohol in the blood as long as it is fewer than 2gr/lit leads to traffic accidents which causes fewer head injuries. But of course, the concentration of alcohol in the blood of individuals who recently started drinking is different. For example, in non-addicted people, the amount of alcohol at 30 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood creates false sense of happiness and joy. If it reaches 50 milligrams per liter of blood, it creates an imbalance in behavior and movement.  This figure if it reaches 1 gram per 1 litter of blood, produces a severe imbalance.  And whenever the amount of alcohol is 3 grams per liter of blood, the person will go to coma and any more consumption than this is fatal.

Dr. Amanullah Noorzai, specialist trainer and professor of neurosurgery

ENDS