Epidemiology, injury characteristics and clinical outcomes of bicycle and motorcycle accidents in the under 20 population: South Korea

Abstract

Background Bicycles and motorcycles are a main means of transportation and leisure for individuals aged under 20 years in South Korea. We aimed to identify the epidemiology of injuries and describe and compare patterns of injury and clinical outcomes of two-wheel vehicle-related accidents in these individuals. Methods We analysed data obtained from the National Emergency Department Information System for 401 emergency departments (EDs) from January 2016 to December 2018. We included patients aged < 20 years who experienced injuries while driving or a passenger on two-wheeled vehicles. We analysed patients with a bicycle-related injury and those with a motorcycle-related injury, and then compared two groups and performed a regression analysis for factors predicting severe trauma. Results This study enrolled 54,342 two-wheel vehicle injury patients (37,410 bicycle and 16,932 motorcycle-related), of which, 86.8% (bicycle) and 94.9% (motorcycle) were males. External injuries were the most common. ED mortality was 9 (0.0%) for bicycles and 53 (0.3%) for motorcycles. Overall, 3,346 (8.9%) patients were hospitalised with bicycle injuries and 4,096 (24.2%) with motorcycle injuries. Among admitted patients with bicycle-related injuries, 48.7% had upper extremity injuries and among those admitted patients with motorcycle-related injuries, 76.0% had lower extremity injuries. Among hospitalised patients, the mean injury severity score (ISS) was 12.0 ± 12.6 in bicycle-related injury and 17.6 ± 15.4 in motorcycle-related injury. The number of patients with ISS ≥ 16 was 27.6% for bicycle related injuries and 45.2% for motorcycle-related injuries. The mean length of hospital stay was 191.5.8 ± 224.2 h for bicycle injury, and 359.6 ± 416.7 h for motorcycles. Hospital mortality cases were 0.2% with bicycle injury and 1.2% with motorcycle injury. Motorcycle-related injuries had more severe injury (ISS ≥ 16), with an adjusted odds ratio of 2.825 (95% confidence interval 2.610–3.059) compared to bicycle-related injuries. Conclusions In the population aged under 20 years, two-wheel vehicle-related occurred predominantly in males. When using two-wheeled vehicles, motorcycle injuries were higher in patients aged over 14 years and were associated with higher ISS (≥ 16). Political efforts should be made to educate under 20 years of age for safe driving and to wear protective gear, including helmets to prevent severe injury.

Analysis of the Prevalence of Fractures Caused by Bicycle Accidents

“…Accidents caused by reckless and speeding driving, an excessive amount of individuals using the roads, an excessive population, bad road conditions, driver fatigue, and illegal immigration are the key contributors to the problem. [16] In current study 210 patents were presented. There were 54.8% males and 45.2% females.…”

Analysis of increased motorcycle accidents during the COVID-19 pandemic: a single-center study from Türkiye

“…Considering similar studies in the literature, Yun et al reported a helmet usage rate of 46.7% in their study. [ 14 ] A study conducted in Shanghai showed that the helmet-wearing rate among couriers was 34.14% for food delivery and 10.18% for express delivery. [ 15 ] Consistent with our study’s results, it was emphasized in this study that legal regulations regarding helmet use should be urgently implemented, as they can effectively reduce injuries and fatalities in traffic accidents.…”

“…In another study, a 75.48% rate of lower extremity injuries was reported,[ 13 ] while Yun et al noted a frequency of lower extremity injuries of 56.9%. [ 14 ] Peek et al reported a frequency of 54% for lower extremity injuries in their study of 700 cases. [ 20 ] Craig et al observed in their study that lower extremity injuries were the most common in motorcycle accidents and were one of the main reasons for prolonged hospital stays.…”

“…In a study by Yun et al, which examined 16,932 motorcycle accident cases, the wrist and forearm were reported as the most frequently fractured regions (37%). [ 14 ] Dupaix et al also reported that the wrist and forearm were the most common fracture regions in their study of 578 motorcycle accidents. [ 22 ]…”

“…[13] Yun et al reported a mean age of 17.1±1.9 in their study of 16.932 cases. [14] When examining the distribution of motorcycle accidents over time, it was found that motorcycle accidents were most common in August. Additionally, when analyzing the distribution of accidents by days of the week, it was observed that the fewest accidents occurred on Tuesdays.…”