Ground transportation accidents involving two categories of motorcyclists who transport passengers

ABSTRACT Objective: The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to analyze the occurrence of ground transportation accidents involving two categories of motorcyclists who transport passengers in a city located in northeastern Brazil: those who work for city hall and those who work for a private transportation firm. Methods: Interviews were held with the aid of a questionnaire administered to a probabilistic sample of 210 individuals (125 from city hall and 85 from the private firm). Results: A high number of motorcyclists in both categories combined (78.6%) suffered traffic accidents in the 12 months prior to the inquiry. Collisions with automobiles constituted the most frequent type of accident (43.6%). Accidents were more associated with motorcyclists working for city hall (p < 0.05), due mainly to the fact that these individuals had been employed for a longer period of time (p < 0.001). The occurrence of bodily injuries was high in both categories (63.6%). Facial injuries were the least frequent in both categories due mainly to the use of protection equipment (98.2%). Conclusion: The occurrence of traffic accidents was high in the two motorcycle passenger transportation categories analyzed, demonstrating that motorcycles are used to transport passengers in a risky manner.