Two-wheeled vulnerability: trend and demographic profile of mortality caused by motorcycle traffic violence in Brazil, 2004-2014

Abstract Objective To analyze mortality trend among motorcyclists caused by traffic accidents, and to analyze the demographic profile of the victims. Method This study is a historical series which aims to evaluate the average variation of deaths among motorcyclists in the Brazilian macro-regions; correlation between deaths and the circulating fleet; raw and standardized mortality rates calculated according to age, gender, race, schooling, and work accident. Results A significantly increase on mortality trend was observed among motorcyclists in the Brazilian macro-regions (p-value <0.001). Based on the raw and standardized mortality rates among motorcyclists, it is possible to state that deaths are concentrated in the Midwest, Northeast and North macro-regions. The predominant victim was the young, brown man with low education level. Work-related accidents were ignored 57-70% of notifications. The increase in the circulating fleet was strongly related to the increase in death rates among motorcyclists in Brazil (0.981; p <0.001). Conclusion This is a growing problem of public health, which mainly affects young people in social vulnerability. The massification of the fleet and the increase of mortality refer to the responsibility of the State to establish intersectional actions in order to reduce vulnerability of motorcyclists.