Comparison of Injury Severity Between Moped and Motorcycle Crashes: A Finnish Two-Year Prospective Hospital-Based Study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The coverage of the official statistics is poor in motorcycle and moped accidents. The aim of this study was to analyze the severity of motorcycle and moped crashes, and to define the degree of under-reporting in official statistics.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

All first attendances due to an acute motorcyclist or moped driver injury registered in the emergency department between June 2004 and May 2006 were analyzed. The severity of the injuries was classified using the Abbreviated Injury Scale score and the New Injury Severity Score. The hospital injury data were compared to the traffic accident statistics reported by the police and compiled and maintained by Statistics Finland.

RESULTS

A total of 49 motorcyclists and 61 moped drivers were involved in crashes, leading to a total of 94 and 109 injuries, respectively. There were slightly more vertebral and midfoot fractures among motorcyclists than among moped drivers (p = 0.038 and 0.016, respectively). No significant differences were found between the severity (maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale and median New Injury Severity Scores) of the motorcycle and moped crashes. There was no in-hospital mortality. The degree of agreement (overlap) between the hospital dataset and the official statistics was 32%. The rate of under-reporting was 68%.

CONCLUSIONS

According to the maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale and New Injury Severity Scores, the injury severity was equal for motorcycle and moped crashes. The degree of agreement between the hospital dataset and the official statistics was 32%.

Alcohol-related hospitalizations of adult motorcycle riders

OBJECTIVE

To provide an overview of the demographic characteristics of adult motorcycle riders with alcohol-related hospitalizations.

METHODS

Data obtained from the Trauma Registry System were retrospectively reviewed for trauma admissions at a level I trauma center between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2013. Out of 16,548 registered patients, detailed information was retrieved regarding 1,430 (8.64%) adult motorcycle riders who underwent a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) test. A BAC level of 50 mg/dL was defined as the cut-off value for alcohol intoxication.

RESULTS

In this study, alcohol consumption was more frequently noted among male motorcycle riders, those aged 30-49 years, those who had arrived at the hospital in the evening or during the night, and those who did not wear a helmet. Alcohol consumption was associated with a lower percentage of sustained severe injury (injury severity score ≥25) and lower frequencies of specific body injuries, including cerebral contusion (0.6; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.42-0.80), lung contusion (0.5; 95% CI = 0.24-0.90), lumbar vertebral fracture (0.1; 95% CI = 0.01-0.80), humeral fracture (0.5; 95% CI = 0.27-0.90), and radial fracture (0.6; 95% CI = 0.40-0.89). In addition, alcohol-intoxicated motorcycle riders who wore helmets had significantly lower frequencies of cranial fracture (0.4; 95% CI = 0.29-0.67), epidural hematoma (0.5; 95% CI = 0.29-0.79), subdural hematoma (0.4; 95% CI = 0.28-0.64), subarachnoid hemorrhage (0.5; 95% CI = 0.32-0.72), and cerebral contusion (0.4; 95% CI = 0.25-0.78).

CONCLUSIONS

Motorcycle riders who consumed alcohol presented different characteristics and bodily injury patterns relative to sober patients, suggesting the importance of helmet use to decrease head injuries in alcohol-intoxicated riders.

Use of Cognitive Work Analysis for exploration of safety management in the operation of motorcycles and scooters

The risk of accident, injury and death is disproportionately higher for motorcycle riders than for motorists. In this paper, we investigate strategies of safety management associated with operation of powered two-wheel vehicles (motorcycles and scooters). Accident prevention is most often driven by an epidemiological approach that investigates the risk factors associated with accidents. By focusing on risk factors, these types of studies fail to examine the strengths of the system in any depth. In this paper we employ an ethnographic approach structured by reference to the framework of Cognitive Work Analysis, to identify how riders of powered two-wheel vehicles manage their own safety and the safety of others. We anticipate that this research will open up a rich, relatively untapped, area for exploration of safety interventions.

Exhaust and evaporative emissions from motorcycles fueled with ethanol gasoline blends

The emission characteristics of motorcycles using gasoline and E10 (90% gasoline and 10% ethanol by volume) were investigated in this article. Exhaust and evaporative emissions of three motorcycles were investigated on the chassis dynamometer over the Urban Driving Cycle (UDC) and in the Sealed Housing for Evaporative Determination (SHED) including regulated and unregulated emissions. The regulated emissions were detected by an exhaust gas analyzer directly. The unregulated emissions including carbonyls and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were sampled through battery-operated air pumps using tubes coated with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) and Tenax TA, respectively. The experimental results showed that the emission factors of total hydrocarbons (THC) and carbon monoxide (CO) from E10 fueling motorcycles decreased by 26%-45% and 63%-73%, while the emission factor of NOx increased by 36%-54% compared with those from gasoline fueling motorcycles. For unregulated emissions, the emission amount of VOCs from motorcycles fueled with E10 decreased by 18%-31% while total carbonyls were 2.6-4.5 times higher than those for gasoline. For evaporative emissions of THC and VOCs, for gasoline or E10, the diurnal breathing loss (DBL) was higher than hot soak loss (HSL). Using E10 as a fuel does not make much difference in the amount of evaporative THC, while resulted in a slightly growth of 14%-17% for evaporative BETX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene).

Powered two-wheeler drivers' risk of hitting a pedestrian in towns

INTRODUCTION

The risk of collision between pedestrians and powered two-wheelers is poorly understood today. The objective of this research is to determine the risk for powered two-wheeler drivers of hitting and injuring a pedestrian per kilometer driven in towns and to compare this risk with that run by four-wheeled vehicle drivers.

METHOD

Using the bodily injury accidents recorded by the police on nine roads in the city of Marseille in 2011 and a campaign of observations of powered two-wheeler traffic, we estimated the risk per kilometer driven by powered two-wheeler drivers of hitting a pedestrian and compared it with the risk run by four-wheeled vehicle drivers.

RESULTS

The results show that the risk for powered two-wheeler drivers of hitting and injuring a pedestrian is significantly higher than the risk run by four-wheeled vehicle drivers. On the nine roads studied, it is on average 3.33 times higher (95% CI: 1.63; 6.78). Taking four more years into account made it possible to consolidate these results and to tighten the confidence interval.

CONCLUSION

There does indeed seem to be problems in the interactions between pedestrians and powered two-wheeler users in urban traffic. These interaction problems lead to a higher risk of hitting and injuring a pedestrian for powered two-wheeler drivers than for four-wheeled vehicle drivers. The analysis of the police reports suggests that part of this increased risk comes from filtering maneuvers by powered two-wheelers.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Possible countermeasures deal with the urban street layout. Measures consisting in reducing the width and the number of traffic lanes to a strict minimum and installing medians or pedestrian islands could be an effective way for the prevention of urban accidents between pedestrians and powered two-wheelers.

The role of experience and advanced training on performance in a motorcycle simulator

Motorcyclists are over-represented in collision statistics. While many collisions may be the direct fault of another road user, a considerable number of fatalities and injuries are due to the actions of the rider. While increased riding experience may improve skills, advanced training courses may be required to evoke the safest riding behaviours. The current research assessed the impact of experience and advanced training on rider behaviour using a motorcycle simulator. Novice riders, experienced riders and riders with advanced training traversed a virtual world through varying speed limits and roadways of different curvature. Speed and lane position were monitored. In a comparison of 60 mph and 40 mph zones, advanced riders rode more slowly in the 40 mph zones, and had greater variation in lane position than the other two groups. In the 60 mph zones, both advanced and experienced riders had greater lane variation than novices. Across the whole ride, novices tended to position themselves closer to the kerb. In a second analysis across four classifications of curvature (straight, slight, medium, tight) advanced and experienced riders varied their lateral position more so than novices, though advanced riders had greater variation in lane position than even experienced riders in some conditions. The results suggest that experience and advanced training lead to changes in behaviour compared to novice riders which can be interpreted as having a potentially positive impact on road safety.

Validation of the Chinese-language brief sensation seeking scale: implications for risky riding behaviors of parental motorcyclists and their child passengers

Motorcycles are the leading cause of road traffic deaths in the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia, where Mandarin Chinese is the most commonly used language. Sensation seeking (SS) is reported to correlate with many risky motor vehicle behaviors, and therefore a culture-adapted Chinese instrument is needed to assess this personality trait in Chinese-speaking motorcycling populations. The standard front and blinded-backward process was carried out to formulate the Chinese-language Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (C-BSSS). 193 parental motorcyclists who rode with their young children were interviewed concerning their SS levels, demographics, riding behaviors, and the driving/riding experiences. A random sample of 30 subjects was re-interviewed 1-2 weeks later to examine the test-retest reliability. Psychometric analyses revealed satisfactory item characteristics, internal consistency, intraobserver reliability, and interobserver reliability. Additionally, parental motorcyclists who had the following characteristics were more likely to be the high sensation seekers (SSers), including male, younger age, presenting risky motor vehicle behaviors of themselves (e.g., higher riding speeds, operating after drinking, using a mobile phone while operating, and receiving a traffic ticket), and carrying child passengers who demonstrated dangerous motorcycling behaviors (e.g., a younger age, non-helmeted, and overloaded). We conclude that the C-BSSS is a useful and reliable measure of SS for ethnic Chinese populations. This instrument may be helpful to develop the future prevention strategy of motorcycle injuries in Chinese parental motorcyclists and their young child passengers.

Effect of free distribution of safety equipment on usage among motorcycle-taxi drivers in Tanzania--A cluster randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Deaths due to road traffic injuries, particularly motorcycle crashes, have increased rapidly in many African nations and context-specific strategies to improve preventative behaviours are needed. Although adhering to conspicuity measures by wearing reflective safety vests is a highly effective crash prevention strategy and mandated by law among motorcycle-taxi drivers in some African countries, actual use is currently low. We aimed to test whether eliminating cost-barriers through the provision of free reflective, fluorescent motorcycle safety vests would lead to increased utilisation among a high-risk population of motorcycle-taxi drivers in Tanzania.

METHODS

A cluster randomised controlled trial was conducted among 180 motorcycle-taxi drivers. Participants randomised to the intervention arm (90) received free, reflective, fluorescent vests; participants randomised to the control arm (90) did not receive free vests. Participants' use of reflective vests was then observed on city streets over a three month period and differential uptake was estimated using mixed-effects logistic regression.

RESULTS

Baseline use of reflective vests was 3.3% in both arms. Seventy-nine drivers in the intervention arm and 82 drivers in the control arm were observed during follow-up. The average proportion of observations during which motorcycle drivers were using a reflective vest was 9.5% in the intervention arm, compared to 2.0% in the control arm (odds ratio: 5.5, 95% confidence interval: 1.1-26.9, p-value: 0.04).

CONCLUSION

Although distribution of free reflective vests led to a statistically significant increase in vest usage, the absolute increase was modest. Additional strategies beyond removing economic barriers are important to augment adherence to road safety behaviours for injury prevention.

Evaluating the emission status of light-duty gasoline vehicles and motorcycles in Macao with real-world remote sensing measurement

Roadside remote sensing measurement was used to explore the real-world emission status of light duty gasoline vehicles (LDGVs) and motorcycles in Macao. Both fuel-based and distance-based emission factors were derived using the mass balance method. The emission concentration profile of LDGVs illustrated the benefits of tightening emission standards at the source country or region of import. The distance-based emission factors for CO, HC and NOx of LDGVs registered before 2000 were 8.00, 1.04 and 1.36g/km, respectively. The distance-based emission factors for CO, HC and NOx of LDGVs registered in or after 2000 were 1.16, 0.15 and 0.18g/km, respectively. The fuel-based CO emission factors of light duty motorcycles (LDMCs) and heavy duty motorcycles (HDMCs) registered before 2000 were about 10 times higher than those of LDGVs of the same age group. As the emissions of LDGVs decreased more quickly after 2000, the gap widens for newer vehicles. The distance-based HC emission factors of LDMCs and HDMCs registered before 2000 were 4.81 and 2.91g/km, respectively. The distance-based HC emission factors of LDMCs and HDMCs registered in or after 2000 were 3.52 and 0.93g/km, respectively. The poor emission performance of motorcycles and their larger share in the traffic flow will cause them to be the major contributor to traffic CO and HC emissions. LDMCs, especially two-stroke models, should be the priority for vehicle emission control efforts in Macao.

Powered two-wheeler drivers' crash risk associated with the use of bus lanes

CONTEXT

Authorizing powered two-wheeler drivers to drive in lanes reserved to buses is a measure that is sometimes mentioned to improve mobility conditions for these users. But what effect would this measure have on the safety of these users and on the safety of the other users with whom they share the traffic space?

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to contribute elements to help answer this question. More precisely, the objective is to estimate the risk of having an accident per kilometer driven by powered two-wheeler drivers who drive in bus lanes and to compare this risk with that of powered two-wheeler drivers who drive in general traffic lanes.

METHOD

Using the bodily injury accidents recorded by the police over two years on 13 roads in the city of Marseille and a campaign of periodical observations of powered two-wheeler traffic, we estimated the risk per kilometer driven by powered two-wheeler drivers who drive in bus lanes and compared it with that of drivers who do not drive in them.

RESULTS

The results show that the risk for powered two-wheeler drivers who drive in bus lanes of being involved in a bodily injury accident is significantly higher than the risk run by drivers who drive in general traffic lanes. For the 13 roads studied, it is on average 3.25 times higher (95% CI: 2.03; 5.21).

CONCLUSION

In the current situation, powered two-wheeler drivers who drive in bus lanes are less safe than those who drive in general traffic lanes. The analysis of police reports suggests that part of this increased risk comes from collisions between automobile drivers turning right and powered two-wheelers driving in the bus lane who continue straight ahead.

Validation of the principles of injury risk zones for motorcycle protective clothing

INTRODUCTION

The distributions of motorcycle crash impacts and injuries were compared to the four impact risk zones and protective performance specified in the European Standard for motorcycle clothing (EN 13595).

METHODS

Crashed motorcyclists' (n=117) injuries and clothing damage were categorized by body area into the four risk zones. Three levels of protection were defined: protective clothing with impact protection, protective clothing only and non-protective clothing.

RESULTS

The distribution of impact/injury sites corresponded to the predictions of EN 13595, with the proportion of all injuries decreasing from 43.9% in Zone 1, to 18.0%, 16.7%, and 11.5% in Zones 2 to 4, respectively. Protective clothing modified the distribution of injuries with substantially more injuries (OR=2.69, 95% CL: 20.1-3.59) at unprotected impact sites.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

These findings support an appropriate framework for determining performance specifications for the manufacture of motorcycle clothing that will effectively reduce the risk of injury in crashes.

Influence of type of helmet on facial trauma in motorcycle accidents

The mandatory use of helmets by motorcyclists has lowered the incidence of facial trauma, but we know little about the effects of different models of helmet on such injuries. We aimed to find out how different types of helmet affect facial injuries. We collected retrospective data from the medical records of 157 patients treated in a trauma centre in metropolitan São Paulo between January and December 2011. Patients wearing open-face helmets were twice as likely to require an operation as those wearing full-face helmets. The type of helmet is strongly associated with the treatment required.

A comparison of contributing factors between alcohol related single vehicle motorcycle and car crashes

INTRODUCTION

Alcohol related crashes have accounted for approximately 35% of fatal crashes per year since 1994 nationwide, with approximately 30% involving impairment over the legal blood alcohol content limit of 0.08%. Educational campaigns and law enforcement efforts are two components of multi-faceted programs aimed toward reducing impaired driving. It is crucial that further research be conducted to guide the implementation of enforcement and educational programs.

METHOD

This research attempts to provide such guidance by examining differences in alcohol-involved crashes involving motorcycles and passenger cars. Prior safety research has shown that motorcyclists follow a significantly different culture than the average passenger car operator. These cultural differences may be reflected by differences in the contributing factors affecting crashes and the severity of the resulting injuries sustained by the driver or motorcyclist. This research is focused on single-vehicle crashes only, in order to isolate modal effects from the contribution of additional vehicles. The crash data provided for this study are from the Ohio Department of Public Safety from 2009 through 2012.

RESULTS

The injury severity data are analysed through the development of two mixed logit models, one for motorcyclists and one for passenger car drivers. The models quantify the effects of various factors, including horizontal curves, speeds, seatbelt use, and helmet use, which indicate that the required motor skills and balance needed for proper motorcycle operation compounded with a lack of mechanical protection make motorcyclists more prone to severe injuries, particularly on curves and in collisions with roadside objects.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

The findings of this study have been incorporated into combined motorcycle and sober driving educational safety campaigns. The results have shown to be favorable in supporting national campaign messages with local justification and backing.

Motorcyclists' safety in Iran: implication of haddon matrix in safe community setting

Background Three studies were conducted aiming to design specific interventions regarding motorcyclist's safety using Haddon matrix in 14 cities of Iran.

METHODS

Motorcyclists' fatality data was extracted in 14 cities (5 safe community practicing and 9 safe community non practicing cities) during 2006-2007. As the next step a cross sectional study on Knowledge, Attitude, Practice (KAP) of motorcyclists about helmet was performed. A range of variables relevant to motorcyclists' injury and prevention were developed and organized according to the Haddon matrix. The risky behaviors, including over speeding, acrobatic movement, no helmet or not properly wearing helmet were considered. Data were analyzed with chi-square and ANOVA method using STATA software.

RESULTS

The highest mortality rate was revealed in Niriz city (NSC) and the least was reported from Arsanjan city (SC) in Fars Province. In Busher province, the highest death rate was detected in the Busher city (SC) and the least was in the Genaveh city (NSC). In Khorasan, the highest death rate was reported from Torbat-ehydarieh city (NSC) and the lowest was from Bardscan (SC). Male drivers of 19-39 years old were the most affected age groups. The rate of helmet usage in overall was 13% while 97% owned a helmet. Embarrassing of wearing helmet was mentioned by 70% of participants as a reason for not wearing helmet. Participants believed that public education and re-enforcement of mandatory helmet law are two important ways to raise the helmet usage. Conclusions : Constant public education in addition to attention to traffic rules are two important factors to promote helmet wearing rate.

The full spectrum of handlebar injuries in children: a decade of experience

BACKGROUND

Traumatic paediatric handlebar injury (HBI) is known to occur with different vehicles, affect different body regions, and have substantial associated morbidity. However, previous handlebar injury research has focused on the specific combination of abdominal injury and bicycle riding. Our aim was to fully describe the epidemiology and resultant spectrum of injuries caused by a HBI.

METHODS

Retrospective data analysis of all paediatric patients (<18 years) in a prospectively identified trauma registry over a 10-year period. Primary outcome was the HBI, its location and management. The effects of patient age, vehicle type, the impact region, and Injury Severity Score (ISS) were also evaluated. HBI patients were compared against a cohort injured while riding similar vehicles, but not having sustained a HBI.

RESULTS

1990 patients were admitted with a handlebar-equipped vehicle trauma; 236 (11.9%) having sustained a HBI. HBI patients were twice as likely to be aged between 6 and 14 years old compared with non-HBI patients (OR 2.2; 95% CI 1.5-3.2). 88.6% of the HBI patients sustained an isolated injury, and 45.3% had non-abdominal handlebar impact. There were no significant differences in median ISS (p=0.4) or need for operative intervention (OR 1.1; 95% CI 0.9-1.5) between HBI and non-HBI patients. HBI patients had a significantly longer LOS (1.8 days vs. 1.2 days; p=0.001), and more frequently required a major operation (OR 3.4; 95% CI 2.2-5.4). The majority of splenic, renal and hepatic injuries were managed conservatively.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the majority of paediatric HBI is associated with both intra-abdominal injury and bicycle riding, it produces a spectrum of potentially serious injuries and patients are more likely to undergo major surgery. Therefore these patients should always be treated with a high degree of suspicion.

Motorcycle helmet use in Rhode Island

Motorcycle crashes are a major public health concern and place economic stresses on the health care system. Helmets have been shown to reduce both motorcycle-related fatalities and head injuries. Universal motorcycle helmet laws in other states have shown to be effective at increasing helmet use. The current Rhode Island motorcycle helmet law does not require every motorcycle rider to wear a helmet. Given the number of deaths and injuries that could be prevented, public health efforts to increase helmet use through education and legislation should be considered for review.

Trends in prevalence, knowledge, attitudes, and practices of helmet use in Cambodia: results from a two year study

INTRODUCTION

Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are a major cause of both morbidity and mortality globally. Relative to countries with similar economic patterns both within and outside of South-East Asia, Cambodia's road traffic fatality rate is high, with motorcyclists accounting for more than half of all fatalities as a result of head injuries. Despite the initiation of national motorcycle helmet legislation for Cambodian drivers in 2009, helmet use among both drivers and passengers remains low.

METHODS

This study adopted a two-pronged approach to assess the current status of and knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) towards helmet use among drivers and passengers in five provinces in Cambodia. The objective was to better understand helmet use over a two year period since the introduction of the 2009 legislation. Researchers conducted both (1) direct observation of daytime and nighttime helmet use (January 2011-January 2013) and (2) roadside KAP interviews with motorcyclists (November 2010-November 2012).

RESULTS

The observed helmet rate across all study sites was 33% during nighttime and 48% during daytime, with proportions up to ten times higher among drivers compared with passengers. Self-reported helmet use was higher than observed use. Within the past 30 days, 60% of respondents reported that they "always" wore a helmet when they were drivers while only 24% reported they "always" wore a helmet as a passenger. Reported barriers for use among drivers included: "driving route", "forgetfulness", and "inconvenience/discomfort."

CONCLUSION

Despite awareness of the protective value of helmets, motorcycle helmet use rates remain low in Cambodia. Many misconceptions remain in Cambodia regarding helmet use, including that they are unnecessary for short distance or at low speeds. These serve as an important barrier to helmet use, which, if dispelled and coupled with visible and regular enforcement, may significantly reduce the number of motorcycle-related injuries and fatalities.

Using speeding detections and numbers of fatalities to estimate relative risk of a fatality for motorcyclists and car drivers

Precise estimation of the relative risk of motorcyclists being involved in a fatal accident compared to car drivers is difficult. Simple estimates based on the proportions of licenced drivers or riders that are killed in a fatal accident are biased as they do not take into account the exposure to risk. However, exposure is difficult to quantify. Here we adapt the ideas behind the well known induced exposure methods and use available summary data on speeding detections and fatalities for motorcycle riders and car drivers to estimate the relative risk of a fatality for motorcyclists compared to car drivers under mild assumptions. The method is applied to data on motorcycle riders and car drivers in Victoria, Australia in 2010 and a small simulation study is conducted.

Safety riding program and motorcycle-related injuries in Thailand

A retrospective cohort study was conducted in Thailand from 2007 to 2009 to evaluate the efficacy of a safety riding program in preventing motorcycle-related injuries. A training group of motorcyclists were certified by the Asia-Pacific Honda Safety Riding Program in either 30-h instruction (teaching skills, riding demonstration) or 15-h license (knowledge, skills, and hazard perception) courses. The control group consisted of untrained motorcyclists matched on an approximately 1:1 ratio with the training group by region and date of licensure. In total, there were 3250 subjects in the training group and 2963 in the control group. Demographic data and factors associated with motorcycle-related injuries were collected. Motorcycle-related injuries were identified using the Road Injuries Victims Protection for injuries claims and inpatient diagnosis-related group datasets from the National Health Security Office. The capture-recapture technique was used to estimate the prevalence of injuries. Multivariate analysis was used to identify factors related to motorcycle-related injuries. The prevalence of motorcycle-related injuries was estimated to be 586 out of 6213 riders (9.4%) with a 95% confidence interval (CI): 460-790. The license course and the instruction course were significantly associated with a 30% and 29% reduction of motorcycle-related injuries, respectively (relative risk 0.70, 95% CI: 0.53-0.92 and 0.71, 95% CI: 0.42-1.18, respectively). Other factors associated with the injuries were male gender and young age. Safety riding training was effective in reducing injuries. These training programs differ from those in other developed countries but display comparable effects. Hazard perception skills might be a key for success. This strategy should be expanded to a national scale.

Age, period and cohort effects on the incidence of motorcyclist casualties in traffic crashes

Objectives

(1) Estimate age, period and cohort effects for motorcyclist traffic casualties 1979–2008 in New Zealand and (2) forecast the incidence of New Zealand motorcycle traffic casualties for the period 2019–2023 assuming future age, cohort and period effects, and compare these with an estimate based on simple linear extrapolation.

Methods

Age-period-cohort (APC) modelling was used to estimate the individual effects of age, period and cohort after adjusting for the other two factors. Forecasting was produced for three period-effect scenarios.

Results

After adjusting for cohort and period effects, 15–19-year-olds have substantially elevated risk. The period effect reduced in significance over time until the last period, 2004–2008, where the risk was higher than the preceding period. The 10-year cohorts born 1949–1958, 1954–1963, 1959–1968 and 1964–1973, had elevated risk. The forecasting, based on APC modelling, resulted in the lowest estimates of the future incidence being approximately one-third that of the highest estimate (6641).

Conclusion

Trends in motorcycle casualties have been influenced by significant independent age, period and cohort effects. These need to be considered in forecasting future casualties. The selection of the period effect has a significant impact on the estimates. Which period-effect scenario readers choose to accept depends on their views about a wide range of factors which might influence motorcycle use and crash risk over time.

Economic burden of motorcycle accidents in Northern Ghana

BACKGROUND

Motorcycles are the most popular means of transportation in northern Ghana, and their accidents are major causes of out-patient attendance and admissions in the Bolgatanga Municipality.

OBJECTIVE

This paper estimates the economic burden of motorcycle accidents in the Bolgatanga Municipality in Northern Ghana.

DESIGN

Retrospective cross-sectional cost study.

METHODS

Data were collected from Drivers and Vehicle Licensing Authority, the Police, health facilities and motorcycle accident victims. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used for data collection. Cost analysis was based on the standard road accident cost conceptual framework.

RESULTS

Ninety-eight percent of vehicles registered in the municipality in 2004 - 2008 were motorcycles. The motorcycles were significantly more than the cars registered. The economic burden of motorcycle accidents was estimated to be about US$1.2 million, of which, 52% were accident-related costs (i.e. property damage and administration) and 48% casualty-related costs (i.e. medical costs, out-of-pocket expenses, lost labour outputs, intangible costs and funeral expenses). Most motorcycle accident victims were in their productive ages and were males. Only a third of the motorcycles were insured. Majority of the riders (71%) did not possess valid driving license and would want to avoid the police. Main motorcycle injuries were head injuries, fractures, lacerations and contusions. Majority of the accidents were caused by lack of formal motorcycle riding training, abuse of alcohol, unrestrained animals and donkey carts.

CONCLUSION

Motorcycle accidents could be reduced through law enforcement, continuous mass education and helmet use.

Motorcycle fatal accidents in khorasan razavi province, iran

BACKGROUND

All over the world motorcycle accident are one of the major causes of road death and injury. This study aimed to determine the pattern of Motorcycle Fatal Accidents in Mashhad-Iran.

METHODS

This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in 2006 to analyze the epidemiological pattern of the motorcycle accident in Mashhad, North-Eastern Iran. Three hundred fifty cases of motorcycle accidents were included. Data gathering tool was a standard questionnaire. The compiled data were analyzed using SPSS11 and χ(2) test. The significance level was considered 0.05 in all statistical tests.

RESULTS

In the time span of the study, 350 cases of motorcycle accident occurred, most of which happened at 8pm to 12pm. In 119 cases, the motorcyclist was the blameful rider. Generally, 84.2% of the motorcycle riders did not have safety helmets. About two third of blameful motorcycle riders (63.1%) were less than 25 years old. The major cause of the accidents (55.1%) was due to neglecting the Yield Right of Way. Motorcycle riders endanger pedestrian, other drivers, passengers and their own life.

CONCLUSION

Paying attention to cultural and instructional issues of correct motorcycle riding and performing appropriate monitoring in traffic and transportation system such as honoring our and others safety and setting limitations on using this vehicle by the youth is of great importance.