The risk factors of severe injury after motorcycle crashes in university neighborhoods

Background University students accounted for 61% of road traffic fatalities in Taiwan, and 93% were motorcyclists. University neighborhoods are usually crowded with restaurants and small stores. The high volume of customers mixed with different types of road users may increase the risk of severe injury after a motorcycle crash. The study aimed to explore the risk factors of severe injury among motorcyclists in university neighborhoods. Methods Hospital data collected retrospectively from five trauma centers in Taiwan was connected with the police traffic accident dataset. The study included motorcycle riders suffering a crash in the urban area. All crash locations were geocoded to define the area within 500 meters outside the campus as the university neighborhoods. ISS ≧ 8 indicated severe injury. The subgroup analysis included patients aged between 18 and 24 years old. Results Totally 4,751 patients were enrolled in this study, including 513 patients (10.8%) with ISS≧8. The male-to-female ratio was 1.6/1. The statistical results are illustrated in the attached table. Conclusion: No previous studies of traffic injury specially researched the environmental factors in university neighborhoods. Compared to the previous Taiwanese studies, the differences in age group and the high-risk time in our study may reflect the varied behavioral patterns and lifestyles among university students in Taiwan, such as fewer drunk riding and more late night riding. In terms of gender, the high proportion of female riders for commuting may cause a significant association. The protective effect of longer time to hospital subtly showed the effectiveness of urban EMT. Finally, the flashing mode at the road intersection and the obstacles along the roadside were important targets for intervention to mitigate road traffic injury in university neighborhoods.