Pattern and severity of injury sustained by motorcyclists in road traffic accidents in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The pattern, severity and circumstances of injury sustained by 52 motorcyclists admitted as the result of a road traffic accident were prospectively documented. Forty-eight of the patients were drivers and four were pillion passengers. Three of the drivers and all of the pillion passengers were female. Injuries to motorcyclists accounted for 0.4% of the total workload of the department during the course of the study, and for 14% of all injuries seen there arising from road traffic accidents. Eighty-nine per cent of the patients were aged less than 25 years and the oldest patient was aged 44 years. Patients under the age of 21 years were injured more severely than those aged 21 years or more. The majority of injuries (67%) involved the limbs with the right arm and leg being injured twice as often as the left arm and leg. Arms and legs were injured with equal frequency. Head and facial injuries comprised only 9% of the total. Two patients were observed not to be wearing helmets at the time of the accident. Patients admitted between midnight and 05.59 hours sustained injuries of greater severity than those admitted between 06.00 and 23.59. Fifty per cent of patients had an Injury Severity Score of less than five, and only four patients had Injury Severity Score of 25 or more. One third of patients were riding motorcycles with an engine size of 750cc or greater. This group of patients was younger than patients riding less powerful motorcycles and also sustained injuries of greater severity.