Year: 2026 | Month: October | Volume: 16 | Issue: 10 | Pages: 176-182
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20261019
Pattern of Head Injuries among Unhelmeted Motorcycle Riders involved in Fatal Road Traffic Accidents: A Three-Year Retrospective Autopsy-based Study in a Tertiary Care Centre of Karnataka
Yogesh G1, Chaitanya R2, Ravishankar MG3
1,2,3Department of Forensic Medicine, BMCRC, Ballari
Corresponding Author: Dr. Yogesh G
ABSTRACT
Background: Motorcycle-related road traffic accidents are an important cause of traumatic injuries and mortality, particularly among unhelmeted riders. Head injuries, including skull fractures and intracranial haemorrhages, contribute substantially to mortality following motorcycle crashes. Characterizing these injuries through medico-legal autopsy findings can help establish the patterns of fatal cranial trauma.
Objectives: To describe the patterns of head injuries, including the anatomical distribution and types of skull fractures, intracranial haemorrhages, and causes of death, among unhelmeted motorcycle riders involved in fatal road traffic accidents.
Materials and Methods: A retrospective, descriptive, autopsy-based study was conducted at BMCRC Super Specialty Hospital, Ballari, Karnataka, India, covering the period from January 2023 to December 2025. A total of 202 fatal road traffic accident cases involving unhelmeted motorcycle riders were included. Data were extracted from inquest reports, postmortem examination reports, and available hospital records. The recorded variables included age, location and type of skull fracture, pattern of intracranial haemorrhage, and cause of death. Data were analysed using Jamovi software, version 2.3. Categorical variables were summarized as frequencies and percentages.
Results: The highest proportion of cases occurred among individuals aged 21–30 years (33.1%), followed by those aged 31–40 years (31.1%). Fractures involving both the cranial vault and base were observed in 152 cases (75.24%), representing the most frequent anatomical fracture pattern. Combined comminuted and linear skull fractures were identified in 88 cases (43.56%), followed by depressed and linear fractures in 58 cases (28.71%). The predominant intracranial haemorrhage pattern was the combination of subarachnoid and subdural haemorrhages, observed in 150 cases (74.25%). Head injury was documented as the cause of death in 172 cases (85.14%).
Conclusion: Head injury was the predominant cause of death among unhelmeted motorcycle riders in this autopsy-based study. Combined cranial vault and skull base fractures, complex skull fracture patterns, and concurrent subarachnoid and subdural haemorrhages were the principal findings. These observations underscore the importance of helmet use and comprehensive road safety measures to reduce fatal motorcycle-related injuries.
Key words: Unhelmeted motorcyclists; skull fracture; intracranial hemorrhage; craniocerebral trauma; road traffic accidents; autopsy study.