No Helmets Seen in Hospitalized Patients in Ilorin, Nigeria

In a new study published in Injury Prevention, B.A. Solagberu and his colleagues found no helmet use in their one-year prospective study of 112 hospitalized patients due to motorcycle injuries. Of the 112 injury patients seen – most were riders (54%) and most were males (88%). Though many had multiple injuries, a total of 71 (63%) of the patients received head and neck injuries. More than three-quarters of the injured had mild to moderate trauma, and 8 patients died, seven of head injuries.

The authors noted that in this study, the percentage of motorcycle injuries compared to all road traffic injuries seen had doubled to 27% of the total. This compared with the proportion of motorcycle to road traffic injuries seen in China (23%), but it was less than in Vietnam (62%). The authors cite four reasons why motorcycle use is increasing in Nigeria: 1) it is cheaper than a used car, 2) it is the only means of transportation for some roads, 3) it is fast and can beat traffic jams, and 4) for commercial drivers motorcycles, it is a means to make money quickly. 

According to the authors, the mandatory helmet law in Nigeria was repealed in 1979, but it was reenacted during the period of the study (August, 2004 – July, 2005). Although the law was in force during some of the time of the study, no motorcyclist or passenger was wearing a helmet. This contrasts with a 1980 study in Nigeria that reported 34.5% of riders were using helmets. In their personal communication with governmental authorities, the authors state that although there were political reasons why helmet law enforcement was discouraged, other excuses were given for not enforcing the law such as the cost of helmets and tropical heat.

The authors conclude that low-cost helmets that are appropriate in hot weather should be made available and that helmet use needs to be enforced. They recommended that other regions should be included in a study and comparisons with injuries from four-wheel vehicles should be considered.

Reference: Solagberu BA, Ofoegbu CKP, Nasir AA, Ogundipe OK, Adekanye AO, Abdur-Rahman LO. Motorcycle injuries in a developing country and the vulnerability of riders, passengers, and pedestrians.  Inj Prev 2006;12;266-268.

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