Characterization of transit accidents involving motorcyclists in Pernambuco-2016

Introduction: Traffic accidents are configured as public health problem due to their high morbidity and mortality. Although there are few studies on motorcycle workers, it is known that most motorcycle users live in urban areas and are made of individuals who use the bike to go to and from work. OBJECTIVES: To characterize motorcyclists who suffered a traffic accident hospitalized at a Recife Hospital - Recife, Brazil, and describe the characteristics of the accidents suffered by these drivers. Methods: A cross-sectional study carried out in the hospital bed of injured workers, drivers of motorcycles, hospitalized at the HR in Recife-PE, from May to September 2016, using a sociodemographic, occupational, and accident-related questionnaire. Results: 124 individuals were interviewed. The majority were males (97.6%), young adults aged 18 to 39 years (81.5%), with a monthly average income lower than 2 minimum wages (75.0%). About 55% of the interviewees had an informal employment relationship. The highest number of accidents occurred between 18:01 and 00:00 (45%). Collision with other automobiles was the most frequent type of accident (62.0%). Conclusions: The results showed that the majority of the accident victims were male, in a productive age, who earned less than 2 minimum wages and that most of the accidents occurred due to collision. The importance of education and awareness among motorcyclists and other drivers in order to reduce the incidence and severity of accidents involving motorcycles.(AU)