One out of 10 patients suffers from facial and head injuries due to a lack of airbags and not wearing rear seat belts while driving. Nowadays, there is a surge in the number of people suffering from minor to severe facial injuries during road accidents or when applying emergency brakes to save children and older adults from potholes. Doctors said they have consulted many patients suffering from severe injuries when the driver has control over the speed, but sometimes to avoid potholes on the road or other things that come up.
Car accidents lead to whiplash, back injuries, concussions, and broken bones. But one of the most common and least talked about injuries from car accidents is facial trauma.
Facial injuries due to accidents can seriously damage the face. This includes facial fractures, swelling, mouth puncture, broken jaw bone, fractured nose, ripped skin, bruising, burns, broken teeth, cuts, and lacerations. Car, truck, and motorcycle accidents are frequently the causes of facial injuries in a majority of people. Shattered glass can pierce the skin, and steering wheels and airbags can induce facial fractures. Road accidents can leave one’s face disfigured for life. It is observed that facial injuries are becoming increasingly common.
The World Health Organisation also estimates more than 1.2 million people die in road crashes every year globally, and in countries like India, two-wheeler riders form a majority of these fatalities.
Dr Debraj Shome, Director of The Esthetic Clinics, India said they have consulted several patients in the clinics about the injury and India is a country where only drivers wear a seat belt to avoid a fine, rather than protection from injuries. In the event of a collision, a rear seat belt will keep you from being ejected from the car and suffering serious injuries.
"One out of every ten patients visits for a minor facial injury, while a small percentage suffers from more severe injuries involving the facial bones or soft tissue. Don't lie down or sit without wearing seat belts; you may pay for this with your life or serious deformities," added Dr Shome.
Case study, Rohit (name changed), a young man from Parel, was admitted in a state of coma following a bike accident in similar circumstances and succumbed a few days later due to serious consequences.
Many more individuals have been treated for similar traumatic brain injuries at our hospital in the past few months, and notably, none of them has been able to go back to their normal lives despite prompt medical care.
"Lack of awareness and enforcement are among the key reasons for people not wearing helmets. According to national statistics, over 16 lives are lost every hour due to road traffic accidents in India. To our unpleasant surprise, India has now become the head-injury capital of the world, a record that we would not like to own," said an orthopaedic from the civic-run hospital.
