Road Traffic Accidents and their Human Consequences: A Case Study from Eastern Nepal

Abstract

One of the main causes of deaths and injuries worldwide is road traffic accidents (RTAs). The majority of RTA fatalities worldwide occur in low and middle-income nations. Human road accidents (HRAs) in Nepal are the leading cause of death and loss of property. Mortality and morbidity can be avoided with prompt actions and timely rescue. This paper aims to investigate the road safety of Koshi Province, for which patterns, mortality, and morbidity of human road accidents were examined. Secondary data available in the records of the Nepal traffic police website between 17th July 2023 to 15th July 2024 for all fourteen districts of Koshi Province were examined. Those data were exported to MS Excel and MS Word for preparing graphs and figures. The study found the major involvement of bikes/scooters in the accidents. Young adults make up the majority of HRAs victims, while middle age is least affected age group. Furthermore, most incidents have occurred in March and April. Most accidents that have been reported occurred in the afternoon. However, public transportation has been responsible for the majority of deaths. These cases represent basic challenges in city planning, transportation policy, enforcement, and public behavior. Just relying on the data of the government of Nepal from the website and not studying the interrelation of accident patterns, deaths, and injuries with other major parameters are the limitations of this study.