Trends in motorcyclist and occupant fatalities and serious injuries due to traffic crashes.
OBJECTIVE
To describe trends in motorcycle traffic crashes and compare these trends in other crashes and vehicle registrations.


METHODS
National fatality and public hospital inpatient data were used to select cases. Relative changes in both deaths and hospitalisations, and vehicle registrations were examined in each year during the period 1980-98.


RESULTS
The results show that deaths and serious injuries to motorcyclists have declined substantially over the period 1980-1995. The trend in serious injuries to motorcyclists closely followed the trend in motorcycle registrations. The association was less evident for motorcyclist fatalities and for occupants there was no clear association with trends in registrations for either outcome.


CONCLUSIONS
The reduction in motorcycle injuries has contributed substantially to our improved road safety record. We need to protect these gains but in order to do this we need a clear understanding of how they were achieved. Such an understanding is currently lacking.
Langley
J D
JD
Injury Prevention Research Unit, University of Otago, Dunedin.
Alsop
J C
JC
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control; D002423:Cause of Death; D017052:Hospital Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D009049:Motorcycles / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology