Low Acceptance of Helmet-Use and Injuries from Motorcycle Accidents in Rawalpindi and Abbottabad, Pakistan

Background : Motorcycle accidents are a major cause of head injuries and the current study evaluated the beneficial impact and effectiveness of helmet usage among injured Motorcycle users. This study has been performed to observe the Motorcycle collisions within 6 months in Rawalpindi and Abbottabad cities of Pakistan

Objectives : Implications of helmet usage were assessed and the risk factors for severe injury during motorcycle accidents were identified.

Results : The multivariate analysis indicated that riders without a helmet were more likely to experience severe (AOR, 2.216; 95% CI, 2.02 to 10.5) or moderate injury (AOR, 1.215; 95% CI, 0.84 to1.77). Riders who experienced crashes involving multiple vehicles were also significantly more likely to experience severe (AOR, 2.473; 95% CI, 1.0 to 3.93) or moderate injury (AOR, 1.192; 95%CI, 0.08 to 0.41). Thus, compared to helmet users, the odds of severe injury are five times higher among motorcyclists with no helmet use when no other factors were controlled for in the analysis. The adjusted odds of severe injuries maybe 2.2 times higher among the riders without helmets vs. riders with helmets.

Conclusion : Helmet use levels, injury type, and crash type were identified as risk factors that significantly influenced the risk of severe or moderate injury. Motorcycle riders can reduce their risk of severe injury by adopting preventive measures (helmet use) and by controlling these factors. Road safety strategies to prevent injuries, casualties, and loss of economical resources may benefit from our study findings and the risk of severe injuries can be reduced by proper implementation of Helmet use laws.