Florida's motorcycle helmet law repeal and fatality rates.
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On July 1 2000, the State of Florida exempted adult motorcyclist and moped riders from wearing helmets provided they have medical insurance of 10,000 US dollars. Monthly time series of motorcycle occupant deaths are examined from 1/1994 to 12/2001. The interrupted time series analysis estimates a 48.6% increase in motorcycle occupant deaths the year after the law change. The impact estimate reduces to 38.2% and 21.3% when trends in travel miles and motorcycle registrations are controlled. Our findings suggest that the law's age exemption should be revoked. (+info)
Genotoxicity of motorcycle exhaust particles in vivo and in vitro.
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We studied the genotoxic potency of motorcycle exhaust particles (MEP) by using a bacterial reversion assay and chromosome aberration and micronucleus tests. In the bacterial reversion assay (Ames test), MEP concentration-dependently increased TA98, TA100, and TA102 revertants in the presence of metabolic-activating enzymes. In the chromosome aberration test, MEP concentration-dependently increased abnormal structural chromosomes in CHO-K1 cells both with and without S9. Pretreatment with antioxidants (alpha-tocopherol, ascorbate, catalase, and NAC) showed varying degrees of inhibitory effect on the MEP-induced mutagenic effect and chromosome structural abnormalities. In the in vivo micronucleus test, MEP dose-dependently induced micronucleus formation in peripheral red blood cells after 24 and 48 h of treatment. The increase of micronucleated reticulocytes induced by MEP was inhibited by pretreatment with alpha-tocopherol and ascorbate. The fluorescence intensity of DCFH-DA-loaded CHO-K1 cells was increased upon the addition of MEP. Our data suggest that MEP can induce genotoxicity through a reactive oxygen species-(ROS-) dependent pathway, which can be augmented by metabolic activation. Alpha-tocopherol, ascorbate, catalase, and NAC can inhibit MEP-induced genotoxicity, indicating that ROS might be involved in this effect. (+info)
Does right leg require extra protection? Five-year review of type 3 open fractures of the tibia.
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INTRODUCTION: Open fracture of the tibia is very common among motorcyclists. The morbidity associated with this injury is well-documented as treatment of severe open fractures is very difficult. There is currently no study done in the literature to see the relationship between fracture severity and the side of the injury. METHODS: We reviewed 239 patients with open fractures of the tibia admitted to our institution from 1998 to 2002. RESULTS: From 241 tibias studied, 150 (62.2 percent) involved the right side and 91 (37.8 percent) involved the left side. Statistical analysis showed that there was a significant difference in the severity of open fracture between the sides of fracture. Less severe injury (grades 1 and 2 fractures) was associated with injury of the left tibia and severe injury (grades 3A, B and C fractures combined) was associated with right tibia fracture. CONCLUSION: Since the right leg was more exposed to the injury, it is imperative to protect the limb. This may reduce the overall incidence and severity of tibia fractures. (+info)
Pattern of injuries in helmeted motorcyclists in Singapore.
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BACKGROUND: Singapore has a mandatory helmet law for motorcyclists. This study aimed to determine the injuries sustained by helmeted motorcyclists presenting to the emergency Department (ED). METHODS: Adult victims of motor vehicular incidents (MVI) who presented to an urban public hospital ED from 1 December 1998 to 31 May 1999 were interviewed. Chart reviews were done for those hospitalised. Data collected were demographic, nature of injury, ambulance care, ED and hospital care, outcome and final diagnoses. RESULTS: Motorcyclists formed 49.1% (1018) of all MVI victims, of whom 96.1% were men. The mean age was 32.5 years (SD 13.1), significantly younger (p<0.0001) than the mean age of 36.4 years (SD 16.4) among other MVI victims. The proportions of motorcyclists and other MVI patients admitted to the hospital were not different. Among those admitted, significantly fewer (p = 0.001) motorcyclists (32.2%) sustained head injury compared with other MVI victims (46.8%) but among the motorcyclists with head injury, more than one third (34.2%) had severe head injury. The proportion of patients with thoracic injury was not different (p = 0.93) between motorcyclists (10.2%) and other MVI victims (9.9%). However, among those with thoracic injury, 79.2% of motorcyclists had severe thoracic injury, significantly more (p = 0.04) than 50% of other MVI patients. Wounds, fractures, and/or dislocations of the limbs (p<0.001) were significantly more among motorcyclists compared with other MVI patients. CONCLUSION: Compared with other MVI victims, fewer helmeted motorcyclists sustained head injury. When head injury occurs in helmeted motorcyclists, it tends to be more severe. Motorcyclists remain vulnerable to extremity injury and to severe chest injury. (+info)
Motor vehicle crashes and spinal injury.
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Accident reports for 67 patients admitted to 3 spinal cord injury units in Australia in 1987 as a result of motor vehicle accidents were examined. Two thirds of the accidents occurred during the Friday-Saturday-Sunday leisure period and about 60% occurred during the November-February Australian summer holiday season. This conforms to the general Australian pattern of road trauma which is predominantly a consequence of leisure travel. The likelihood of a road traffic injury resulting in damage to the spinal cord was highest for motorcyclists whose average age was 22.7, lower than that for vehicle drivers (33.7) and vehicle passengers (38.1). However the most important finding is that most car occupants received their injuries when the motor vehicle overturned. As vehicle rollovers are relatively rare in the total spectrum of traffic crashes this distribution is thought not to have been previously reported. Some possible mechanisms of spinal cord injury are reviewed and engineering solutions to prevent future injuries are recommended. The paper also emphasises the unique opportunity for Australia to collect meaningful data on the causes of spinal injury and advocates the creation of an Australian Spinal Cord Injury Registry. (+info)
Characteristics of older motorcyclist crashes.
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In the U.S. as well as other countries, the number of motorcyclists killed in traffic crashes has risen sharply over the past five years, due in part to the increased popularity of motorcycling among older riders. This paper examines trends in motorcyclist casualties and vehicle registrations from 1990-2002, based on national and state (North Carolina) motor vehicle crash and vehicle registration data. The data show similar patterns of increased fatalities that parallel a growth in motorcycle registrations. Whereas the number of motorcyclists ages 16-24 declined over the 13-year study period, the number of riders ages 35 and older increased. Three years of recent (2000-2002) NC data are examined to identify salient characteristics of the crashes of these older riders. Results are discussed with respect to approaches for mitigating the increase in motorcyclist deaths and injuries. (+info)
Mechanisms of cervical spine injuries for non-fatal motorcycle road crash.
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Cervical spine injuries such as subluxation and fracture dislocation have long been known to result in severe consequences, as well as the trauma management itself. The injury to the region has been identified as one of the major causes of death in Malaysian motorcyclists involved in road crashes, besides head and chest injuries (Pang, 1999). Despite this, cervical spine injury in motorcyclists is not a well-studied injury, unlike the whiplash injury in motorcar accidents. The present study is a retrospective study on the mechanisms of injury in cervical spine sustained by Malaysian motorcyclists, who were involved in road crash using an established mechanistic classification system. This will serve as an initial step to look at the cervical injuries pattern. The information obtained gives engineer ideas to facilitate design and safety features to reduce injuries. All cervical spine injured motorcyclists admitted to Hospital Kuala Lumpur between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2001 were included in the present study. Based on the medical notes and radiological investigations (X-rays, CT and MRI scans), the mechanisms of injuries were formulated using the injury mechanics classification. The result shows that flexion of the cervical vertebrae is the most common vertebral kinematics in causing injury to motorcyclists. This indicates that the cervical vertebrae sustained a high-energy loading at flexion movement in road crash, and exceeded its tolerance level. The high frequency of injury at the C5 vertebra, C6 vertebra and C5-C6 intervertebral space are recorded. Classification based on the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) is made to give a view on injury severity, 9.1% of the study samples have been classified as AIS code 1, 51.5% with AIS 2 and 21.2% with AIS 3. (+info)
Trends in motorcycle fatalities associated with alcohol-impaired driving--United States, 1983-2003.
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Motorcycles are the most dangerous type of motor vehicle to drive. These vehicles are involved in fatal crashes at a rate of 35.0 per 100 million miles of travel, compared with a rate of 1.7 per 100 million miles of travel for passenger cars. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has reported increasing numbers of motorcycle deaths associated with alcohol-impaired driving in recent years, especially among persons aged > or =40 years. To determine trends by age group in motorcycle fatalities overall and in those involving alcohol impairment, CDC analyzed data from the NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) for 1983, 1993, and 2003. This report summarizes the results of that analysis, which indicated that, during 1983-2003, the overall prevalence of elevated blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) among motorcycle drivers who died in crashes declined; however, the peak rate of death among alcohol-impaired motorcycle drivers shifted from those aged 20-24 years to those aged 40-44 years. Strong enforcement of existing BAC laws, together with other public health interventions aimed at motorcyclists, might reduce the crash mortality rate, especially among older drivers. (+info)