Impact of crash characteristics, safety accessories on injury patterns among motorcycle users attending Teaching Hospital, Karapitiya, Galle

Introduction: Road traffic accidents involving motor cycles often results in severe morbidity and mortality. There has been a significant increase in incidences of motorcycle accidents in Sri Lanka in the recent past. This study was conducted to understand the different factors related to the motor cycles, users and the roads which determine the injury patterns on victims, who were presented to the Teaching Hospital, Karapitiya, Sri Lanka.

 

Methods: This prospective analytical study was carried out among the motor cycle users admitted during the six months from January 2015.

 

Results: A total of 272 patients (233 males) ranging in age from 6 months to 73 years (mean = 30 years) were included. Out of all patients 194 (71.3%) were riders. About 50.7% of the incidents happened during the daytime. Majority of patients had ridden classical motor cycles (66.2%) and 56.6% of all bicycles had a crash bar. About 9.9% of the victims were wearing full face helmets whereas 11.4% were without helmets. It is recorded that 51.5% of the incidents occurred in urban areas and 91.2% of accidents were on tarred roads. Majority incidences (82.4%) happened when it was not raining. Abrasions were the commonest (69.5%) injury and 47.1% of patients had injuries which fell in to Grievous Hurt Category according to the Penal Code of Sri Lanka. Wearing helmets is a protective factor from head injuries (p=0.020). Full face helmets provided protection from facial injuries than partial coverage helmets (p=0.037).

 

Conclusions: Motor cycle users sustain different types of injuries and majority was Grievous Hurt category. Wearing helmets is a protective factor from head injuries andfull face helmets provided protection from facial injuries than normal helmets.