Family and social demographics of victims of motorcycle accidents

Introduction: The current increase in the use of motorcycles in Nigeria has been associated with an increased incident rate of motorcycle road traffic accidents (MRTAs). The family and social features of victims might give an insight to the impact on the society. Aim and Objectives: To determine the family and social demographics of victims of motorcycle road accidents Materials and Methods: A prospective, hospital-based descriptive study was conducted and eligible patients that presented to the Emergency Department were enrolled as subjects. Data was recorded in a structured recording schedule and analyzed using SPSS 16. Proportions were determined and statistics presented in tables. Results: There were 72 riders (46.2%), 54 passengers (34.6%) and 30 pedestrians (19.2%) seen. The mean age was 34.33±16.48 years and students were most affected (21.2%). Most passengers were between twenty to forty years (55.6% of pillion riders), just like the riders (68% of riders). Although most victims were married, 46.8% were yet to have children but majority of them (50.6%) had at least one dependant. Conclusion: Although 20-29 age group was the most seen, it was not only the victims of MRTA that were affected by the accidents, the whole family and the community in general were affected.