Frequency and Severity of Head Injury Among Motorcycle Riders With and Without Helmet Use

Mubashara Waheed  Siddiqui; Mehak Hafiz  Gaziani; Zohaib  Ahmed

doi:10.54112/bcsrj.v6i5.1742

Authors

Mubashara Waheed Siddiqui Department of Neurosurgery, Liaquat National Hospital & Medical College, Karachi
Mehak Hafiz Gaziani Department of Neurosurgery, Liaquat National Hospital & Medical College, Karachi
Zohaib Ahmed Department of Neurosurgery, Liaquat National Hospital & Medical College, Karachi

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54112/bcsrj.v6i5.1742

Keywords:

GCS Glasgow Coma Scale, SPSS Statistical Package for the Social Sciences

Abstract

Related injuries are a growing public health concern worldwide, particularly head injuries, which are a leading cause of death and long-term disability among riders. Despite strong evidence supporting the protective benefits of helmets, helmet usage remains inconsistent, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Understanding the frequency and severity of head injuries in riders with and without helmets is essential for guiding safety regulations, promoting helmet use, and reducing the burden of traumatic brain injuries due to motorcycle accidents. Objective: The main objective of the current study was to determine the frequency and severity of head injury among motorcycle riders with and without helmet use presenting at the emergency ward of a tertiary care hospital. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from November 15, 2024, to February 28, 2025, in the Department of Neurosurgery, Liaquat National Hospital & Medical College, Karachi. Participants of both genders, aged between 18-60 years, who were motorcycle riders or pillion riders presenting at the emergency ward with road accidents were included in this study. Mentally disabled patients and cases in which obtaining consent was not possible because unconsciousness of patients and the absence of their attendants were excluded from the current research study; the data were analyzed by using SPSS version 27. Results: A total of 195 motorcycle drivers injured in road accidents were included in the study; the mean age (years) of all patients was 33.24±15.73, and 80.5% (n=157) were male. Motorcycle male drivers with and without helmets presented as 88(89.8%) & 69(71.1%) compared with the female drivers as 10(10.2%) and 28(28.9%), p-value of 0.001. Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores showed that motorcycle drivers with and without helmets were more often in mild (GCS-15) as 66 (67.3%) versus 27 (27.8%), p-value < 0.000. The moderate (GCS Score 9-12) severity of head injury was 4 (4.1%) versus 12(12.4%), respectively. Severe (GCS Scores 3-8) were observed as 8 (8.2%) compared to 24 (24.7%) with a statistically significant p-value < 0.005. Conclusion: The study shows that helmet use among motorcycle drivers significantly reduces the severity of head injuries. Riders who used helmets had a higher rate of mild Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores and a lower number of severe injuries compared to those without helmets.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Oltaye Z, Geja E, Tadele A. Prevalence of motorcycle accidents and their associated factors among road traffic accident patients in Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, 2019. Open access emergency medicine. 2021:213-20.

Abegaz T, Gebremedhin S. Magnitude of road traffic accident-related injuries and fatalities in Ethiopia. PLOS ONE. 2019;14(1):e0202240.

Hailemichael F, Suleiman M, Pauolos W. Magnitude and outcomes of road traffic accidents at Hospitals in Wolaita Zone, SNNPR, Ethiopia. BMC research notes. 2015;8:1-5.

Metrics I. for H. & Evaluation. Global Burden of Disease Collaborative Network. Global Burden of Disease Study 2016 (GBD 2016) Results. (2017). 5. Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Seattle. 2019.

Obanife HO, Nasiru IJ, Ogunleye OO, Ahmad M, Otorkpa EJ, Shehu BB. Severity and predictors of outcome of motorcycle-associated head injury: an experience from a regional neurosurgery centre in northern Nigeria. World neurosurgery. 2022;158:e103-e10.

Eustace D, Indupuru VK, Hovey P. Identification of risk factors associated with motorcycle-related fatalities in Ohio. Journal of Transportation Engineering. 2011;137(7):474-80.

Haworth N. Powered two wheelers in a changing world—Challenges and opportunities. Accident Analysis & Prevention. 2012;44(1):12-8.

Rifaat SM, Tay R, De Barros A. Severity of motorcycle crashes in Calgary. Accident Analysis & Prevention. 2012;49:44-9.

Hossen MS, Kappes C, Trabia M, Morris B, Park J, Paz A. Design and preliminary testing of demand-responsive transverse rumble strips. Advances in Mechanical Engineering. 2019;11(9):1687814019878300.

Lin M-R, Kraus JF. A review of risk factors and patterns of motorcycle injuries. Accident Analysis & Prevention. 2009;41(4):710-22.

Sung K-M, Noble J, Kim S-C, Jeon H-J, Kim J-Y, Do H-H, et al. The preventive effect of head injury by helmet type in motorcycle crashes: A rural Korean single‐center observational study. BioMed Research International. 2016;2016(1):1849134.

Granger H, Nair V, Parekh H, Phillips D, Prinz D, Seid EH, et al. " Green" motor taxation: Issues and policy options in sub-Saharan Africa: IFS Report; 2021.

Sisimwo PK, Onchiri GM. Epidemiology of head injuries and helmet use among motorcycle crash injuries: a quantitative analysis from a local hospital in Western Kenya. Pan African Medical Journal. 2018;31(1).

Sisimwo PK, Mwaniki PK, Bii C. Crash characteristics and injury patterns among commercial motorcycle users attending Kitale level IV district hospital, Kenya. Pan African Medical Journal. 2014;19(1).

Amjad M, Khan A, Fatima K, Ajaz O, Ali S, Main K. Analysis of temperature variability, trends and prediction in the Karachi Region of Pakistan using ARIMA models. Atmosphere. 2022;14(1):88.

Ghaffar A, Hyder AA, Masud TI. The burden of road traffic injuries in developing countries: the 1st national injury survey of Pakistan. Public health. 2004;118(3):211-7.

Shamim S, Razzak JA, Jooma R, Khan U. Initial results of Pakistan's first road traffic injury surveillance project. International journal of injury control and safety promotion. 2011;18(3):213-7.

Ali A, Malik MA, Khan UR, Khudadad U, Raheem A, Hyder AA. Helmet wearing saves the cost of motorcycle head injuries: a case study from Karachi, Pakistan. ClinicoEconomics and outcomes research. 2021:573-81.

Siddiqa M, Shah GH, Munam A. Low Acceptance of Helmet-Use and Injuries from Motorcycle Accidents in Rawalpindi and Abbottabad, Pakistan. Special Journal of Public Health, Nutrition, and Dietetics. 2021;2(1).

Jain S, Iverson L. Glasgow coma scale.[updated 2020 Jun 23]. StatPearls Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. 2020.

Kuria J. Prevalence of motorcycle injuries in Nakuru County Referral Hospital. Nakuru County, Kenya. 2019;23(10):42-8.

Hounkpe Dos Santos B, Glele Ahanhanzo Y, Kpozehouen A, Daddah D, Lagarde E, Coppieters Y. Effect of wearing a helmet on the occurrence of head injuries in motorcycle riders in Benin: a case-control study. Injury epidemiology. 2021;8:1-11.

Cavalcante DKF, Veloso SRM, de Almeida Durão M, de Carvalho Melo V, de Melo Monteiro GQ, Porto GG. Do helmet use and type influence facial trauma occurrence and severity in motorcyclists? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. 2021;79(7):1492-506.

Brockhus LA, Liasidis P, Lewis M, Jakob DA, Demetriades D. Injury patterns and outcomes in motorcycle driver crashes in the United States: The effect of helmet use. Injury. 2024;55(3):111196.