ABSTRACT
Motorcycle usage has become very common among the youth of Accra to the extent that it is used as a public means of transport popularly known as “okada”. This increment in motorcycle usage has caused an increase in motorcycle accidents, leading to the loss of lives, destruction of state property and making huge demands off the health sector. The main aim for this study is to access the occurrence of motorcycle crashes in Accra by examining the reported cases of such crashes at the University of Ghana, Legon Hospital. A cross sectional study was conducted on reported cases of motorcycle incidents in the hospital, questionnaires were used as the main source for obtaining information on the topic. The study revealed that the incidence of motorcycle injury was 65 per 345 (18.8%). Most people (47.7%) who own motorcycles use them for transportation purposes and most motorcycle accidents result from motorcycle-motor vehicle collision.
Majority (87.7%) of the respondents stated that they do not report to work because of injuries sustained, thereby affecting their output at work. Most (45.5%) of the respondents also identified cars as the greatest threat to motorcyclists, weaving between vehicles (86.1%) was identified as the main cause of motorcycle accidents. The respondents also attributed other motorcycle accidents to the use of drugs, (3.0%) alcohol and other substances (80.0%). Majority of the respondents had accidents because of noncompliance to road safety and traffic rules. The injuries associated with not wearing protective clothing (77.8%), in comparison to wearing protective clothing (22.2%) were more severe. The study recommended that there should be a lot of education on the need for riders and their passengers to wear protective clothing, especially the recommended helmets and how efficient they are in reducing the seriousness of injuries gotten from motorcycle accidents.
