Risk for motorcyclists in a busy metropolitan city: the example of Tel Aviv

The proportion of motorcyclists injured in road accidents in Israel is larger than their proportion among road users.

To identify factors contributing to the risk of injury motorcyclists as compared to drivers of other motor vehicles.

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.

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).

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.