Pattern of injuries from motorcycle accidents in Abia State, Nigeria: The influence of government regulation

Background: Motorcycle accidents are very common and cause major injuries. The Abia State government banned commercial motorcyclists from operating in the major cities of the state in July, 2009. Objectives: To determine the influence of this ban on the cause and pattern of injuries due to road traffic accidents.Design: The study is retrospective. Setting: The Accident and EmergencyDepartment of the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia.Subjects: All patients involved in road traffic accidents that were brought to the Accident and Emergency Department of the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia in 2009.Materials and Methods: Data obtained from patients’ case notes weresubjected to statistical analysis.Results: In the six months before the ban, a significant number ofmotorcycle accidents occurred compared to the other six months after the ban. More of the injuries were major, more of the patients were males, and the median age of occurrence for most of the injuries was 25.5years. Conclusion: The ban on commercial motorcycle operatives significantlyreduced the incidence of road traffic accidents and major injuries.Key words: Injuries, Motorcycle, Road traffic accident