African Journal of Trauma

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Year
: 2016  |  Volume : 5  |  Issue : 2  |  Page : 43--47

Motorcycle accident mortality in Lagos, Nigeria: Impact of a traffic law


Festus Edobor Emiogun, Francis Adedayo Faduyile, Sunday Sokunle Soyemi, Olugbenga Olaide Oyewole 
 Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria

Correspondence Address:
Francis Adedayo Faduyile
Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos
Nigeria

Introduction: The use of the motorcycles for commercial purposes has been associated with a high rate of road traffic injuries and mortality in Nigeria. This study is to examine the effects of newly introduced traffic laws on the mortality rate as well as pattern of injury following the enforcement of the laws. Methodology: This is a 4-year retrospective autopsy study of motorcycle accident deaths in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja. The study period was divided into two parts; 2 years before the law, August 2010–July 2012 and 2 years after the law, August 2012–July 2014. The anatomical location of the injuries as well as the cause of death of the patients was extracted from the register and the data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Test for statistical significance was set as P < 0.05. Results: There were 128 motorcycle death autopsies recorded during the period of study with 96 cases (75%) before the law and 32 cases (25%) after the law. The frequency of head injury was 39.8% before the law and 43.6% after the law. The proportion of road traffic accident deaths due to motorcycle crashes was from 23.4% before the law to 11.2% after the law. Conclusion: Head injury is the most frequent anatomical region of injury in both periods. There is a 3-fold decrease in the proportion of death from motorcycle crashes following the enforcement of the traffic law.


How to cite this article:
Emiogun FE, Faduyile FA, Soyemi SS, Oyewole OO. Motorcycle accident mortality in Lagos, Nigeria: Impact of a traffic law.Afr J Trauma 2016;5:43-47


How to cite this URL:
Emiogun FE, Faduyile FA, Soyemi SS, Oyewole OO. Motorcycle accident mortality in Lagos, Nigeria: Impact of a traffic law. Afr J Trauma [serial online] 2016 [cited 2024 Mar 28 ];5:43-47
Available from: https://www.afrjtrauma.com/article.asp?issn=1597-1112;year=2016;volume=5;issue=2;spage=43;epage=47;aulast=Emiogun;type=0