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