High ratio of road accident victims at hospitals

Press, 4 July 1983, Page 27

High ratio of road accident victims at hospitals

About one quarter of all accident admissions to our public hospitals are the result of motor vehicle accidents.

Motor accidents were also found to be the major cause of death in the 15-44 age group, according to a report from the North Canterbury Hospital

Board. In the first nine months of last year, 4829 people were admitted to hospitals and 1157 of those were from road accidents. After severe accidents, head injuries were most common. Accidents placed heavy

demands on hospital services. Accident victims tended to stay in hospital longer than other patients and their treatment cost the hospital, and the taxpayer, a massive $3,076,780. The report showed that 60 per cent of all accident victims were under the age of 30, with 48 per cent under

the age of 25. “Many accidents, and the severe injuries they produce, are largely preventable, provided of course that the public play a large part in this prevention,” says the report. “Besides the physical and psychological damage which might be prevented there is

the considerable amount of money that might be saved. “There is also the loss to the national productive effort and, no doubt those on waiting lists for surgery would have appreciated the beds.”

Road accident victims also make up two-thirds of

the admissions to the Burwood Spinal Injuries Unit.

“We cannot stress too much the importance of sound helmets for motorcyclists, the dangers of drinking and driving and the usefulness of defensive driving courses,” says the unit’s nursing supervisor.