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At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed1979

A six-month review of motorcycle accidents.

Ther were over 1000 fatal motorcycle accidents in Britain during 1976, which cost the taxpayer over pounds 40 million. There has been a 50 per cent increase in the number of motocyclists treated at Newcastle General Hospital Casualty Department over the past six months. Most accidents occur with young inexperienced male drivers, making elementary driving errors. Suggestions for positive prevention of motorcycle accidents are made. Of paramount importance is the need for consideration of compulsory formal training and enactment of the motorcycle lighting-up law.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1983

Heel flap injuries in motorcycle accidents.

Thirteen cases of heel flap injuries following motorcycle spoke accidents have been analysed. The injuries have been graded into three Grades (I, II and III) depending upon the severity and extent of the injury to the foot. The different forms of management are outlined. Most of the injuries have been confined to the right side because of poor assembly of the rear wheel of the motorcycle. Inadequate footwear is a contributory factor. It is urged that protective footwear be made compulsory for both the driver and the pillion passenger. Changes should also be made in the design of the rear wheels of motorcycles.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1983

The economics of safety deregulation: lives and dollars lost due to repeal of motorcycle helmet laws.

Between 1976 and 1980, 28 state legislatures in the United States repealed or weakened their motorcycle helmet-use laws. This paper estimates the number of excess deaths attributable to this deregulatory activity, and the associated economic costs to society. Because of data limitations, no attempt was made to estimate the excess nonfatal injuries and associated costs. We applied a variant of log-linear contingency-table analysis to the monthly counts of motorcycle fatalities in the 48 contiguous states over the period 1975 through 1980. This analysis produced estimates of the total number of deaths, in each of 36 age-sex groups, that could be attributed to changes in the helmet laws. We then estimated the direct and indirect economic costs associated with fatalities in each age-sex group. Our findings indicate that 516 excess deaths occurred in 1980 in the 28 states that weakened or repealed their helmet laws. This represented 24 percent of the total motorcycle fatalities occurring in those states. Women and younger cyclists of both sexes comprised a disproportionate share of excess deaths. The economic costs to society that are associated with the excess fatalities resulting from the repeals of helmet laws total at least $180 million.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1987

Motorcycling and head injury: admissions to a regional head injury unit.

In a 5-year period during which 7,178 patients with head injury were admitted to a regional head injury unit, 191 motorcyclists (2.7%) were admitted with head injuries of which 76% were classified as minor, 6% as moderate and 18% as severe (in coma). Two thirds of the patients were aged 20 years or less. Eighty-two riders (43%) had some form of facial or scalp trauma and 37 (19%) sustained skull fracture. Intracranial haematomas requiring surgical evacuation were detected in 3 of the minor head injuries (2%), 2 of the moderate injuries (17%) and 11 of the severely head injured patients (32%). Twenty-nine of the 34 severely injured patients were managed using artificial ventilation and intracranial pressure monitoring. The remaining patients died before these measures could be instituted. Overall mortality was 7%, but deaths were restricted to the severely head injured, among whom there were 13 fatalities. Head injuries associated with motorcycle riding include an unduly high proportion of severe cases and occur in a young population, often within a short time of starting to ride a motorcycle. Protective headgear was virtually always worn (94%); to reduce morbidity further, increased training and supervision during the first 6 months of motorcycle ownership should be emphasized.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The effectiveness of foams in bicycle and motorcycle helmets.

The optimisation of the foam used for shock absorption in bicycle and motorcycle helmets is considered. It is shown that for the former, the ideal foam yield stress for impact with a rigid protruding object is higher than that for impact with a deformable flat object. Therefore, the design must be a compromise. For motorcycle helmets the shell stiffness is higher and the force to cause shell buckling plays a significant part in the response. Lower density foams can be used only if the impact test standards are rewritten with less emphasis on impacts with convex and pointed objects.

Bicycling↗
PubMed1992

Helmet use, patterns of injury, medical outcome, and costs among motorcycle drivers in Maryland.

A comprehensive study was conducted of all motorcycle traffic crashes occurring in Maryland during a one-year period. All available medical and cost data were linked with police crash reports. During the study period, 1,900 motorcycle drivers were involved in crashes. The data indicated that (i) helmet usage was 35% overall, 30% among fatally injured drivers, and only 16% among drivers with a history of drug/alcohol conviction, (ii) unhelmeted drivers seen at an emergency department were almost twice as likely to have sustained head injury (40%) as were helmeted drivers (21%) (the corresponding percentages for hospitalized drivers were 55% and 38%), and (iii) acute care cost for unhelmeted drivers was three times ($30,365) that of helmeted drivers.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1995

Relationship of helmet use and head injuries among motorcycle crash victims in El Paso County, Colorado, 1989-1990.

A case-control study was conducted in El Paso County, Colorado to estimate differences in risk of head injury among persons in motorcycle crashes who were or were not wearing helmets. There were 71 cases, motorcyclists with head injuries from crashes, and 417 controls, motorcyclists in crashes without head injuries. Motorcyclists not wearing helmets were 2.4 times as likely to sustain head injuries (95% confidence limits: 1.23, 4.70) than motorcyclists wearing helmets. This odds ratio was adjusted for age and crash characteristics, using logistic regression. Alcohol intoxication and severity of motorcycle damage were also associated with significantly elevated odds ratios related to sustaining a head injury.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1994

Motorcycle crashes resulting in death and hospitalisation. II: Traffic crashes.

This is the second paper in a series of three that describe the epidemiology of motorcycle crashes in New Zealand that result in death and hospitalisation. The first paper presented an overview of all motorcycle crashes. This paper focuses on traffic crashes. The source of the fatality data was national mortality data files for the years 1978 to 1987 inclusive. The source of the hospitalisation data was the 1988 national morbidity file which records all public hospital discharges in New Zealand. For the period 1978 to 1987, 1,175 fatalities were identified resulting in a mortality rate of 3.5 per 100,000 persons per year. Males aged 15-19 and 20-24 had very high rates (25.2 and 26.4, respectively), especially labourers (40.0) and forestry workers (32). Maori and non-Maori had similar rates. The majority (63%) of the deaths were attributable to a collision with another motor vehicle. During 1988 2,222 motorcyclists were hospitalised giving an incidence rate of 68.1 per 100,000 persons per year. Males aged 15-19 and 20-24 had very high rates (409 and 416, respectively), especially labourers (355). Maori had a higher morbidity rate than non-Maori (99 versus 61). The most common (40%) crash was a collision with another motor vehicle. The most common sites of injury were the lower limb (43%) and head (23%). Collision crashes were more likely to result in lower limb injury, be more severe, and result in longer stays in hospital.

Abbreviated Injury Scale↗
PubMed1995

Severe motorcycle injury in Mersey region and North Wales.

Ninety-three patients were involved in serious motorcycle accidents (death or Injury Severity Score more than 15) during a 1-year period among a total of 554 victims of serious road traffic accidents studied at 16 district general and teaching hospitals. There were 91 males and two females. The average age was 29 years (range 15-81 years). Of these, 32 per cent died at the scene of the accident or in transit; 68 per cent arrived alive at the above hospitals. Of the latter, 30 per cent died in hospital. The commonest cause of death was multiple injuries. The Injury Severity Score of patients admitted to hospital was a mean of 32.1. The Glasgow Coma Score was below 9 in 33.8 per cent. Of those admitted to hospital, the average length of stay was 38.7 days. 67 per cent were admitted to intensive therapy unit of whom 41.3 per cent had to be ventilated for an average of 3.55 days. There were four preventable deaths among the patients who died after being admitted to hospital. Many body areas are frequently injured in motorcycle accidents which occur usually in fit males. Careful assessment along with vigorous and aggressive treatment is particularly important for this group. Access to a specialized trauma centre would be beneficial.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed2006

Characteristics of motorcycle-related hospitalizations: comparing states with different helmet laws.

This study compares U.S. motorcycle-related hospitalizations across states with differing helmet laws. Cross-sectional analyses of hospital discharge data from 33 states participating in the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project in 2001 were conducted. Results revealed that motorcyclists hospitalized from states without universal helmet laws are more likely to die during the hospitalization, sustain severe traumatic brain injury, be discharged to long-term care facilities, and lack private health insurance. This study further illustrates and substantiates the increased burden of hospitalization and long-term care seen in states that lack universal motorcycle helmet use laws.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1999

Revascularization of subtotal amputation at the ankle in children following motorcycle-spoke injury.

A prospective study of subtotal amputation of the ankle following motorcycle spoke injury was carried out to define the mechanism of the injury and results of revasculization. Between 1990 to 1995, there were 42 patients with this type of injury. They were 31 boys and 11 girls. All sustained severe skin lacerations, medial, posterior, lateral and anterior to the ankle joint. All tendons and neurovascular bundles medial, lateral and anterior to the ankle were completely torn, leaving tendons of anterior tibial, extensor hallucis longus and extensor digitorum communis intact. Revascularization was performed successfully in 38 patients. All had good functional outcome although varus of the distal tibia, limitation of ankle motion, shortening of the foot and limb length discrepancy were observed. The motorcycle wheel needs to be redesigned.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1994

Motorcycle helmets and spinal injuries: dispelling the myth.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between spinal injuries and helmet use in motorcycle trauma. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. SETTING: Twenty-eight hospitals in four midwestern states--Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and Wisconsin--representing urban, suburban, and rural settings. PATIENTS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Consecutive sample of motorcyclists treated at the participating centers. INTERVENTIONS: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The major variables evaluated were helmet use, ethanol use, and significant head or spinal injuries. RESULTS: 1,153 cases were analyzed. Helmet use was not significantly associated with spinal injuries (odds ratio, 1.12; 95% confidence intervals, 0.79, 1.58) whereas head injury was markedly decreased with helmet use (odds ratio, 0.35; 95% confidence intervals, 0.23, 0.53). Ethanol use was a significant variable in both head (odds ratio, 3.89) and spinal (odds ratio, 2.41) injuries. CONCLUSION: In contrast to a significant protective relationship identified for head injuries, helmet use was not associated with an increased or decreased occurrence rate of spinal injuries in motorcycle trauma.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Facial trauma and the risk of intracranial injury in motorcycle riders.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: We describe the associations among facial fracture, helmet use, skull fracture, and traumatic brain injury in injured motorcycle riders. METHODS: The study population consisted of 5,790 motorcycle riders who sustained an injury from a crash in 1991, 1992, or 1993 and were identified from emergency department or hospital records in 28 hospitals in 11 California counties. Diagnostic information was abstracted from ED or hospital records and coded to the 1990 Abbreviated Injury Scale. The risk of traumatic brain injury was examined by using odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the associations among helmet use, skull fracture, facial fracture, and traumatic brain injury. RESULTS: Facial injury was diagnosed in 24.4% of all injured riders, including 411 with one or more facial fractures. The odds of traumatic brain injury were 3.5 times greater with than without a facial injury and 6.5 times greater with a facial fracture than with no facial injury. Significantly increased odds of traumatic brain injury were observed for fracture of all bones of the face, but the highest odds of traumatic brain injury were found in riders with fractures to bones of the upper face. Helmet use status and the presence of skull fracture were found to be significant effect modifiers. Facial fracture with concurrent skull fracture increased the risk of traumatic brain injury dramatically. Facial fractures are more strongly associated with traumatic brain injury in helmeted riders. CONCLUSION: The presence of facial fractures increases the risk of traumatic brain injury. Riders with facial fractures should be screened for brain injury, regardless of helmet use status.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed2002

Alterations of motor nerve functions in animals exposed to motorcycle exhaust.

The effect of motorcycle exhaust (ME) on the motor nerve was studied using animals exposed to the exhaust by inhalation, intratracheal, or intraperitoneal administration of ME particulate (MEP). A 4-wk ME inhalation and intratracheal instillation of MEP for 1 d in rats or intraperitoneal administration of MEP (0.5 g/kg/d for 1 d and 0.1 g/kg/d for 2 d) in mice significantly decreased both rota-rod performance and motor nerve conduction velocity. The effect of some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on the motor nerve was also investigated. Treatment with benzo[a]pyrene (0.05 and 0.1 g/kg/d for 3 d), but not pyrene (0.1 g/kg/d for 3 d), resulted in significant decrease of motor nerve conduction velocity in mice. Moreover, the Na(+),K(+)-ATPase activities of sciatic nerves isolated from ME-, MEP-, or benzo[a]pyrene-exposed animals were decreased. Treatment with pyrene did not markedly affect the Na(+),K(+)-ATPase activity of sciatic nerve. The rats exposed to ME for 4 wk showed increases in blood and sciatic nerve manganese levels. Results indicate that motorcycle exhaust produces adverse effects on the motor nerve, which is associated with a fall in nerve Na(+),K(+)-ATPase activity.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed2005

Motorcycle exhaust particles induce IL-8 production through NF-kappaB activation in human airway epithelial cells.

Motorcycle exhaust particles (MEP) are among the major air pollutants, especially in urban area of Taiwan. In our previous study, data showed that MEP induce proinflammatory and proallergic response profiles in BALB/c mice. Effects of MEP on interleukin (IL)-8 production in A549 human airway epithelial cells were further investigated in this study. It was found that MEP enhanced IL-8 protein and mRNA expression in human epithelial cells. Pretreatment with an NF-kappaB inhibitor (1 mM PDTC), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) inhibitor (50 microM PD98059), JNK inhibitor (25 microM SP600125), p38 inhibitor (2 microM SB203580), and three antioxidants (500 U/ml superoxide dismutase [SOD], 50 microM vitamin E, 10 mMN-acetylcysteine [NAC]) attenuated the MEP-induced increase in IL-8 production. Through further, direct detection of nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB activation in epithelial cells using immunoblotting of nuclear p65 and NF-kappaB reporter assay, data showed that MEP induced nuclear translocation of p65 and enhancement of NF-kappaB luciferase gene expression. MEP also induced activation of ERK, JNK, and p38 signaling pathways and produced an increase of oxidative stress in A549 cells. By using mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors and antioxidant, it was demonstrated that ERK inhibitor, JNK inhibitor, and antioxidants but not p38 inhibitor attenuated the MEP-induced increase in NF-kappaB reporter activity. In conclusion, evidence shows that filter-trapped particles emitted from unleaded gasoline-fueled, two-stroke motorcycle engines induce an increase in IL-8 production by activation of NF-kappaB in human airway epithelial cells.

Acetylcysteine↗
PubMed2006

Motorcycle safety programmes in Malaysia: how effective are they?

This paper presents the approach taken by the Malaysian Government to contain motorcycle casualties in Malaysia. It involves the exposure control, crash prevention, behaviour modification and injury control related to humans, vehicles and the environment based on pre-crash, crash and post-crash scenarios of motorcycle accidents. These initiatives emanated mainly from the research and development carried out by the Road Safety Research Centre at Universiti Putra Malaysia. Recent outcomes from these initiatives are presented and their impact is highlighted.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed2002

Effect of oxygenates on exhaust emissions from two-stroke motorcycles.

The advantages of adding oxygenates to gasoline include their raising of the octane rating and their ability to reduce toxic compounds in the gasoline. A study of impacts of various oxygenates used in 50cc two-stroke motorcycle fuel was conducted, using the two most popular motorcycles in Taiwan, to determine the effect of oxygenates on exhaust emissions. Oxygenates used in the study were methanol, ethanol, benzene, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and isopropyl ether (IPE). Addition of oxygenates effectively reduced exhaust emissions. Of the oxygenates tested, with oxygenate content 7% by volume, MTBE was found to be the most suitable for reducing exhaust emissions. Results showed that total hydrocarbon (THC), CO, and NO(x) emissions decreased by 50%, 70%, and 60%, respectively, compared with emissions without any oxygenate added.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed2005

Induction of fibroblast growth factor-9 and interleukin-1alpha gene expression by motorcycle exhaust particulate extracts and benzo(a)pyrene in human lung adenocarcinoma cells.

Motorcycle exhaust particulates (MEP) contain carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons including benzo(a)pyrene. This study has determined the ability of MEP to alter the expression of select genes from drug metabolism, cytokine, oncogene, tumor suppressor, and estrogen signaling families of human lung adenocarcinoma CL5 cells. cDNA microarray analyses and confirmation studies were performed using CL5 cells treated with 100 microg/ml MEP extract for 6 h. The results showed that MEP increased the mRNA levels of metabolic enzymes CYP1A1 and CYP1B1, proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1alpha, IL-6, and IL-11, fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-6 and FGF-9, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-D, oncogene fra-1, and tumor suppressor p21. In contrast, MEP decreased tumor suppressor Rb mRNA in CL5 lung epithelial cells. Treatment with 10 microM benzo(a)pyrene for 6 h altered gene expression profiles, in a manner similar to those by MEP. Induction of IL-1alpha, IL-6, IL-11, and FGF-9 mRNA by MEP and benzo(a)pyrene was concentration and time dependent. Cotreatment with 2 mM N-acetylcysteine blocked the MEP- and benzo(a)pyrene-mediated induction. Treatment with MEP or benzo(a)pyrene increased IL-6 and IL-11 releases to CL5 cell medium. Incubation of human lung fibroblast WI-38 with MEP- or benzo(a)pyrene-induced CL5 conditioned medium for 4 days stimulated cell growth of the fibroblasts. Inhalation exposure of rats to 1:10 diluted motorcycle exhaust 2 h daily for 4 weeks increased CYP1A1, FGF-9, and IL-1alpha mRNA in lung. This present study shows that MEP and benzo(a)pyrene can induce metabolic enzyme, inflammatory cytokine, and growth factor gene expression in CL5 cells and stimulate lung epithelium-fibroblast interaction.

Adenocarcinoma↗