MOTORCYCLE RIDERS’ RISKY BEHAVIORS AND SAFETY MEASURES: A HOSPITAL-BASED STUDY

SA, Bolbol; MM, Zalat

doi:10.21608/ejom.2018.12210

MOTORCYCLE RIDERS’ RISKY BEHAVIORS AND SAFETY MEASURES: A HOSPITAL-BASED STUDY

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Bolbol SA ¹
Zalat MM ²

¹ Department of Community, Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt,

² Department of Community, Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt & Department of Family and Community Medicine, Taibah University, Medina, Saudi Arabia.

10.21608/ejom.2018.12210

Abstract

Introduction: Motorcycles are one of the widely used means of transportation in Egypt nowadays especially three-wheeled motorcycle “Tok-Tok” and there is an increased frequency of crash injuries among motorcycle riders. Aim of work: To assess the risky behaviors and the safety measures in a group of Egyptian motorcycle riders who experienced road traffic accidents, and to study the possible underlying causes of crash accidents. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 319 motorcycle riders admitted to Zagazig University Hospitals due to crash accident. A questionnaire was used to gather information about rider’s risky behaviors and safety issues along with other socio-demographic data. Results: The study showed that the majority of motorcyclists (87.1 %) don’t have a driving license, only (1.9 %) wear helmets and more than half of them (54.5 %) usually use the cell phone while riding and this was noticed more among “Tok-Tok” (3 wheels) riders. About 58.0% of riders don’t respect traffic rules as traffic lights or road signs, and the majority ride on highways. Poor riding technique (73.4 %) was the main cause of accidents. Stunting acts were more common among the two wheels riders with riding experience less than 10 years. Conclusion: the results of this study attract the attention to the main causes of crash accidents which relates to human risky behaviour. This raises the need for proper safety education and training of motorcycle riders with traffic law enforcement, especially driving license and safe riding practices which can definitely help in reducing the incidence of road accidents and save human lives.

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