Causes of Traffic Accidents in Ban Phai District - สาเหตุที่ทำให้เกิดอุบัติเหตุจราจร ในอำเภอบ้านไผ่ จังหวัดขอนแก่น

Abstract

            Traffic accident has been a major cause of injury and death at Ban Phai District, Khon Kaen Province and the incidence has shown an increasing trend. The causes and factors contributing to traffic accidents in each area should be different. Ban Phai Road Safety Team which consists of representatives of the hospital, the police station, public transportation, the Reginal Center of the Highway Department, a local government and the local volunteer rescue team, was formed in order to study the causes and contributing factors of traffic accidents at Ban Phai District, Khon Kaen Province. The multidisciplinary team investigated all 55 fatal traffic accidents causing deaths and serious injuries that were documented at police stations, district hospital and rescue team during August 1,2009 -July 31,2010. The records were collected from various forms such as injury surveillance record, pictures and videos. Each case of accidents was analyzed by the team in case conferences to identify causes and contributing factors of traffic accidents. The study revealed that most traffic accidents were related to motorcycles (67.27%) and pick up (36.36%). Most accidents occurred at night-time. Most reported deaths were in the 20-60 year age group (71.43 %). Major causes of traffic accidents were miss-driving behavior (72.73%) such as speed and drunk driving; environments (15.58%), roads (10.39%) and by poor condition of vehicles (1.3%). Precipitating factors on death were driving motorcycle without wearing helmet and driving without seat belt. In addition, the team identified one major black spot at the gas station on a highway where there was always a truck line-up for services under the dim street-lights. This black spot had caused 4 cases with 3 fatal motorcyclists colliding with the back of the trucks. The causes of traffic accidents in this area differ from those in other reports as they are related to more drivers in working age group, speed, environments and road.

Key words: causes and contributing factors, traffic accident, case conference