A continuation from the Blog entry below this one. The entry today is from a personal friend and top surgeon in Australia. Mike Cadogan, is regularly at the 'Sharp End' of RTA's - Road Traffic Accidents - Mike has responded very quckly, with a short article with active links on the subject.
The article is reproduced exactly as received, spelling errors have been left as they are a clear indication of the effect an RTA can have a long time after the event has happened in the minds of all those who have to 'clear up' the mess after such a tragic event in far too many cases.
Next time you are sitting for hours in A&E moaning about the long wait to have a sprained finger looked at - Think hard, behind the scenes a Surgeon and his team are probably fighting hard to save the life/ lives of someone who does not know they are minutes from death at all!
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From my perspective at the sharp end of things it can be a controversial subject despite the incontrovertible truth that wearing a seat belt use is still the single most effective thing we can do to save lives and reduce injuries in road trauma
See the physics in action:
http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2007/seatbelts.shtml
On a day to day basis I treat the victims of road trauma, deal with the paramedics and police from the scene and then have to convey the bad news to the victims families.
Of the significant road trauma I deal with each week I face cases of excessive alcohol use, illicit drug use, underage drivers, street racers, innocent bystanders and pedestrians. Most of the people who actually survive long enough to be treated in a trauma centre were restrained in the car at the time of the accident; in fact over 80% of trauma victims who die at the scene of a motor vehicle crash - were not restrained at the time of impact. American studies reveal that 63% of all the fatalities form road traumawere not restrained at the time of impact.
Sure, those who arrive in hospital who were restrained at the time of impact are not without injuries - they often suffer formtrauma secondary to the seat belt restraint such as abdominal bruising, fractured sternum/clavicle, myocardial contusions and pelvic fractures. Their deceleration forces are retined within the confines of their seat and from teh imapct of the dashboard. Those non-restrained victims however suffer non-confined injuries, far less simple to define and which often involve significant head/facial injuries and spinal injuries following ejection.
I just live by the facts, and what I see every day: My kids wear seat belts and 5 point harnesses, I wear a seat blet at all times
(Link to Science Direct has been reduced in size to a 'Tiny URL') - http://tiny.cc/l7RYE
Mike Cadogan
http://www.car-accidents.com/pages/seat_belts.html
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Please drive safely, many lives depend on you doing so.
A, B, Catch you later dear reader!
boffin1157
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