Road Traffic Accident: Public Health Issue, Control Program in the United Arab Emirates and Globally - Essay Example

Health sciences and medicine al Affiliation) Road Traffic Accident as a Public Health Issue and Control Program in UAEand Globally Introduction Road traffic injuries are major global public health problems that threaten to worsen if no significant steps are taken to control them. Road accidents are a hindrance to development of many economies. The indicator of any serious health problem lies in the mortality rate associated to that issue (Miller, 2013). Road accidents in the United Arab Emirates continue to register high rates of fatalities and injuries compared to those registered in any high-income country. Globally, road accidents are the eleventh ranked cause of death and the major cause of disability in a majority of the developing countries. Why it is a public health challenge globally The road traffic accidents are a public health issue because of the mortality rate associated to these accidents. Interestingly, the road traffic injuries began before the automotive introduction (Gopalakrishnan, 2012). Nonetheless, the introduction of cars has increased the problem rapidly. In the year 2013, approximately 2.1million people died from road accidents in the world, with the number increasing slightly in the year 2014. In addition to that, the United Arab Emirates registered 720 fatalities in the year 2011 from road accidents; a slight decrease from the 826 lost in the previous year form the same problem. Evidently, the youth age bracket of 18 to 35 years form more than 50 percent of the fatalities both globally and in the UAE (Yadav, 2012). Importance of the problem and justification, magnitude of the problem globally Given these statistics, the development of the economy suffers a blow, as the youth are the pinnacle of innovation and energy that provides insight for the growth of the economy. The number of disabilities that the road carnage causes also proves the fact that the problem is a public health issue. In almost every accident that is recorded, a relatively higher number of injuries are recorded. These injuries often translate into lifetime or temporary disabilities. Moreover, other victims are hospitalized for these injuries, further weakening their mental and physical health. Indeed, road traffic accidents constitute a bulk of global public health problems. The loss of productivity poses a significant social and economic problem. In severe cases that families are wiped out by road accidents, many children are left orphans and with no guardians. The inability of the vulnerable people in the society to survive independently creates a social burden to the society. In addition to that, the willingness of other members of the society to help in taking care of the vulnerable consumes these individual’s earnings. This generally causes a loss of individual growth. Besides, loss of earnings through death translates to loss of economic input. The injuries that relate to road accidents vary according to severity (Abu-Zidan and Eid, 2015). Such problems as traumatic brain injury render a person mentally incapable of retaining the full mental strength he or she had before the accident. Open wounds, factures and spinal injuries often leave a permanent scar on the physical, mental and emotional health of a road accident victim. In the United Arab Emirates, the injuries related to road traffic contribute to at least 31 percent of the hospital attendees, with 48 percent of the bed occupancy in surgical wards isolated for road accident injuries (Yadav, 2012). In severe circumstances, these victims require operation in theatres and intensive care units. All these add up to medical costs, psychological impacts and lost productivity in the case of a road accident casualty. Strategies of preventing road traffic accidents Various strategies could ensure the prevention of road traffic accidents. For instance, the major strategy that could be implemented by the transport authority is to ensure that the rules set are complied with in accordance to the law. Failure to implement such rules could have dire consequences on a daily basis in relation to road safety. Another strategy is to ensure that road users consider and give the necessary attention to their safety. In addition, this could occur through the implementation of another strategy: technology intelligence. This ensures that the relevant personnel monitor any mobility on the roads with a major focus on people safety. Matrix The initial part of the road traffic accident matrix involves the collection of information on the nature and number of the individuals involved in the accident. This includes their geographical origin and information on the circumstances that led to the accident and the actual injuries. The next part involves the need to identify the specific mode of intervention in assessing the factor risks that could be caused by the injuries. The next part involves the determination of factors of prevention or mitigation of the risks in consideration of the available information. The final part involves the implementation of the measures that are likely to be effective for the prevention of road traffic accidents. Cause of the problem and consequences The major causes of road carnage revolve around irresponsible driving, and lackluster tolerance to the required standards and rules regarding road usage. In many road accidents fatalities recorded, drink driving registered the highest fraction. In the UAE, 300 people died from driving while under the influence of alcohol, while another 10,000 injured from the same. Drivers of all age brackets cause the accidents from drink driving. The effect of alcohol on the human brain hinders the driver’s ability to observe long distance objects. Besides, it reduces the response time of the driver by approximately 30 percent (Bogstrand et al., 2012). In addition to that, the use of mobile phones while driving slows the ability of drivers to react by up to 18 percent. Apart from causing destruction to the driver, the use of mobile phones limits the concentration and subsequent reaction of the victims by 0.08 percent. This trend, however, is common amongst young male drivers despite their female counterparts registering alarmingly high rates as well. In the UAE, it is evident that more efforts have to be incorporated to reduce the statistics of fatalities registered from mobile phone use while driving. The school curriculums in the developed countries around the world have included traffic safety education as part of the strategy to eliminate the use of mobile phones while driving. Negligence constitutes a large part of the road accident fatalities and injuries. Avoiding the use of seat belts as a safety measure proves to be disastrous for the ignorant victims in case of accidents. Many drivers and passengers ignore the use of seat belts while in cars, often leading to injuries and fatalities in the event of an accident. In many developed countries, cars are fitted with safety belts. Besides, automobile manufacturers run various campaigns on the need to use safety belts while travelling. In the UAE, the authorities have implemented a policy that aims at punishing public service vehicle users who do not wear safety belts while using these vehicles. This move has reduced the incidences of negligent road accident fatalities by 32 percent in the past five years (Taylor and Dorn, 2006). Amongst other factors that contribute to road traffic accidents are aggressive behaviors of driving, unsafe driving cultures, and inadequate traffic campaigns. Therefore, there is need to enlighten the society on the importance of considering safety while using the roads. Interventional program To eradicate the massive number of cases associated with road traffic accidents, a bipartisan and inclusive approach has to be implemented. The car manufacturers should fit all cars with crash protection programs such as safety belts and airbags. Despite the fact that this approach registers success in advanced countries, developing countries still trail in the implementation of such programs (Lahti et al., 2010). Traffic campaigns are an important means to eliminate such activities as aggressive driving behaviors. Besides being a technique that enlightens the public on the need for observation of road safety, the traffic campaigns enable the society to report any unruly behaviors spotted on the roads to the relevant authorities. The authorities need to put in place stiff penalties for drivers found to be using mobile phones while driving. The legal systems should not equivocate in handling such cases in order to draw a clear distinction for the punishments handed to the perpetrators of this act. To contain drink driving, the law enforcement agencies should device a mechanism that will identify drivers who drink while driving. Though this process is underway in many developing countries, the first world countries have put in place strict regulations concerning this technique. Above all, education is the key to unlocking the potential decrease in road fatalities. By educating the people about the penalties of unsafe driving, many authorities will have eliminated the fatalities and injuries related to drink driving. The continuous inclusion of stories on mainstream media o the impact of negligence while driving will likely reduce the number of victims involved in illegal road usage practices. The aim of such interventional programs is to reduce the burden of fatalities and injuries to the social and economic point of view. The road traffic crashes come with heavy financial burden for the families of the victims, while the psychological trauma hinders the ability of relatives to cope with the nature of the accident. Limitations Poor governance and corruption of law enforcing authorities hinder the implementation of the intervention programs in developing countries. The bad conditions of the roads obstruct the safety of pedestrians and drivers as well. In developed countries, however, the limitation lies in the discrimination of road users (Yadav, 2012). Despite embracing road safety campaigns, a majority of these campaigns highlight the prevention of car occupants from road accidents, while ignoring other vulnerable road users such as children and pedestrians. Recommendations The developing countries should restructure the governance systems to eliminate malpractices that hinder the legal action on violators of road safety regulations. Besides, stiffer penalties should be put in place to both issuers and receivers of bribe in the execution of cases relating to careless observation of the road safety rules. In developed countries, on the other hand, education on traffic safety should incorporate all the road users. These campaigns should target pedestrians, children, and more so young drivers on the awareness of road safety. Besides, all the traffic stakeholders and transport authorities should be conversant on the health implications of road accidents on victims. In conclusion, road traffic accidents are a global public health issue that solely relates to human behavior. The change of attitude will play a significant role in the management of this public health issue (Low, 2009). Bibliography Abu-Zidan, F. and Eid, H. 2015. Factors affecting injury severity of vehicle occupants following road traffic collisions. Injury, 46(1), pp.136-141. Bogstrand, S., Gjerde, H., Normann, P., Rossow, I. and Ekeberg, Ø. 2012. Alcohol, psychoactive substances and non-fatal road traffic accidents - a case-control study. BMC Public Health, 12(1), p.734. Gopalakrishnan, S. 2012. A Public Health Perspective of Road Traffic Accidents. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 1(2), p.144. Lahti, T., Nysten, E., Haukka, J., Sulander, P. and Partonen, T. 2010. Daylight Saving Time Transitions and Road Traffic Accidents. Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2010, pp.1-3. Low, W. 2009. Diversity in Public Health Issues. Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health, 21(4), pp.357-358. Miller, F. 2013. Public Health Ethics: Key Concepts and Issues in Policy and Practice. Public Health, 127(9), p.885. Taylor, A. and Dorn, L. 2006. Stress, Fatigue, Health, and Risk of Road Traffic Accidents Among Professional Drivers: The Contribution of Physical Inactivity.Annu. Rev. Public. Health., 27(1), pp.371-391. Yadav, N. 2012. Road Traffic Accident: An Emerging Epidemic. Health Prospect, 10(0). Read More