Motorcycle road traffic injuries in Southern Nigeria: the small motorcycle as a prevention strategy.

Background: The commonest mode of public transportation in Uyo is by motorcycle. There are two sizes of motorcycle in common use – the big one (Qlink or Skygo model, made in China) and the small one (C90, made in China). The study was carried out to determine if there is a lower risk of RTI severe enough to be brought to the hospital, attributable to using a small motorcycle. Methods: Motorcycle RTI victims admitted at the Accident and Emergency department of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), were reviewed prospectively over a 15 month period. Three community visual surveys of the proportion of small to large motorcycles were also conducted. Results: A total of 131 RTI victims were reviewed over 15 months. The visual surveys of motorcycles in Uyo revealed that the mean proportion of small to large is 38 to 62, a ratio of 1:1.6. Eighty-three (63.3%) of the 131 RTI’s involved motorcycles. 74 of these occurred in large motorcycles. There was a statistically significant relationship between motorcycle size and occurrence of an RTI severe enough to be brought to hospital. Conclusion: There is a lower risk of RTI severe enough to be brought to hospital, from using a small motorcycle.