Motorcycle-related major trauma: on-road versus off-road incidence and profile of cases.
OBJECTIVE
To describe and compare the incidence and profile of on- and off-road motorcycle-related major trauma (including death) cases across a statewide population.


METHODS
A review of prospectively collected data on adult, motorcycle-related major trauma cases from 2001 to 2008 was conducted. Major trauma survivors were identified from the population-based Victorian State Trauma Registry, and deaths were extracted from the National Coroners Information System. Poisson regression was used to test for increasing incidence using two measures of exposure: population of Victoria aged ≥ 16 years, and registered motorcycles.


RESULTS
There were 1157 major trauma survivors and 344 deaths with motorcycle-related injuries over the study period. There was no change in the incidence of motorcycle-related major trauma (both survivors plus deaths) (Incident Rate ratio [IRR]= 1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.94-1.37) over the study period. Similarly, there was no change over time in the incidence of on-road motorcycle-related injury (survivors plus deaths) per 100,000 population (IRR = 1.03, 95% CI 0.84-1.27). However, the incidence of off-road motorcycle-related injury (survivors plus deaths) increased over the study period (IRR = 1.69, 95% CI 1.10-2.60). Among survivors and deaths, 882 (76%) and 301 (87.5%) cases, respectively, occurred on road.


CONCLUSIONS
Off-road motorcycle-related major trauma has increased and this has not been targeted in injury prevention campaigns in Australia. The incidence of on-road motorcycle-related death in adults has decreased. Preventive strategies to address on-road injuries have been enforced and these are expected to lead to further reduction of on-road motorcycle crashes in the future.
Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University National Trauma Research Institute Emergency Department, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Antonina
A
Mikocka-Walus
Belinda
B
Gabbe
Peter
P
Cameron
D015998:Abbreviated Injury Scale; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009049:Motorcycles / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000451:nursing*; D055815:Young Adult