Effects of vehicle size on pedestrian injury pattern and severity: Prospective study

Background: The type of injuries caused by sport utility vehicles may be different from those caused by small passenger cars. We studied prospectively the effects of the offending vehicle type and design on severity and pattern of pedestrian injuries. Methods: All injured pedestrians admitted to the two major trauma centers of Al-Ain city were studied prospectively during the period of April 2006 to October 2007. Patients were classified into two groups according to the offending vehicle type: small vehicle and sport utility vehicle. These two groups were compared regarding the distribution of injury and its severity. Results: The anatomical distribution of injury in a descending order were the lower extremities (56.3, 67 %), head (53.8, 57.1 %), face (37.5, 57.1 %), and upper extremities (32.5, 28.6 %) in small vehicle and sport utility vehicle groups, respectively. No significant statistical difference has been found between the two groups regarding the anatomical distribution and severity. Conclusions: The vehicle size and design did not affect the anatomical injury distribution and severity in our setting. High-impact speed may overcome the vehicle type when it comes to injury severity and pattern of distribution.