Background: The proportion of motorcyclists injured in road accidents in Israel is larger than their proportion among road users.
Objectives: To identify factors contributing to the risk of injury motorcyclists as compared to drivers of other motor vehicles.
Methods: We retrieved and analyzed National Trauma Registry data on drivers, aged 16 and above, who were involved in traffic accidents and hospitalized between 1 January 1997 and 30 June 2003.
Results: The study group comprised 10,967 patients: 3,055 (28%) were motorcyclists and 7,912 (72%) were drivers of other motor vehicles. A multiple logistic regression revealed that Tel Aviv, the busiest metropolitan city in Israel, is a risk for motorcycle injury as compared to other regions; males have an increased risk compared to females; and age is a protecting factor since the risk of injury as a motorcyclist decreases as age increases. Nevertheless, the population of injured motorcyclists in Tel Aviv was significantly older (mean age 32.5 years vs. 28.6 elsewhere; t-test P < 0.0001). Twenty percent (n = 156) of the injured motorcyclists in Tel Aviv were injured while working, compared to 9.5% (n = 217) in other regions (chi-square P < 0.0001). Motorcycle injuries in Tel Aviv were of lower severity (7.7% vs. 16.4% according to the Injury Severity Scale 16+, chi2 P < 0.0001), and had lower inpatient death rates (1.2% vs. 2.5%, chi2 P = 0.001).
Conclusions: Tel Aviv is a risk for motorcycle injury compared to other regions, males have an increased risk compared to females, and age is a protecting factor. The proportion of motorcyclists in Tel Aviv injured while working is double that in other regions.