Grievous injuries caused by autos in state in 2018 was 2,861 when the national average was 357.

KOCHI: Kerala tops the chart when it comes to the number of people getting grievously injured in road accidents and in 2018 , the figure was 31,672, followed by Karnataka (21, 277). This was known from the latest data made available by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).The rate is alarming as it is almost 600% higher than the national average and 10,395 more than Karnataka. But, in terms of severity index (that is deaths/100 accidents) Kerala was ranked 33 in the list of 36 states and UTs, with 11 deaths/100 accidents.Be it accidents involving two-wheelers, autos, cars, jeeps, vans and buses, Kerala tops the chart in terms of grievous injuries. The national average for accidents involving two-wheeler was 1,674, for Kerala it was 13,482.Grievous injuries caused by autos in state in 2018 was 2,861 when the national average was 357. In cases involving cars/jeeps/vans/taxis, the national average was 1,267, while the state figure was 10,009 cases. The figure for the grievously injured in bus accidents stood at 2,314, the highest in the country in 2018. The national average was 405.Dr Mohammed Haneef, who works in the emergency medicine wing of Medical Trust Hospital, said one of the main reasons for the fall in accident fatalities is that patients are rushed to a hospital in Kerala.“There are three type of accident deaths. First category is near instantaneous where death happens within seconds, the second is where death happens in early minutes or early hours. The third is death days after the impact. Those in second category can be saved if we can give medical assistance on time,” he said.Dr Haneef said doctors are able to save patients with grievous injuries due to the availability of good hospitals and people willing to assist accident victims. “Grievous injuries include severe head injury, blunt abdominal trauma, chest trauma, liver laceration etc. In other states, patients suffering such injuries may not be receiving timely medical care, leading to death. This is not the case in Kerala, auto or cab drivers too are helping in this regard,” he said.Dr Haneef added that the type of accidents and roads are contributing factors. “Usually speeding vehicles lead to grievous injuries in mishaps. Given the condition of our roads, such accidents are rare. But, the way in which impacts happen, say due to potholes, it can be serious accidents,” he said.Road safety experts said state of the road, weather and vehicle density lead to accidents. “Improper planning and construction of roads is an important factor. We get rain in most months. Construction of roads should be done using water-resistant materials to avoid regular repairs. Vehicles weighing over 40 tonnes are plying on our road decreasing the life of highways. Improper construction adds to this problem and lead to accidents,” said PD Sunil Babu, a road safety expert.