ABSTRACT

Road traffic injuries and deaths caused by motorcycles are a growing public health problem all over the world .This study was carried out in Comboni Catholic Hospital, Sogakope to determine the incidence, causes, outcomes and management of motorcycle accidents in Sogakope. Motorcycle riders in Sogakope were also assessed to determine what practices contribute to these accidents. The study design was both a secondary data analysis and cross-sectional survey .Secondary data from the record department of the hospital as well as patient folders were analyzed and questionnaires were administered to the motorcycle riders. Convenience sampling procedure was used to select all patient folders involved in motorcycle accidents and 80 motorcycle riders over a period of 1 month. Data was analyzed using Microsoft Office Excel 2010. Ethical approval was sought from Authorities of Comboni Catholic Hospital and respondents. The findings of the study showed that majority of motorcycle riders as well as motorcycle crash victims were males. Most of these crashes did not result in deaths.  It also showed that speeding was the major cause of motorcycle crash in Sogakope. In addition the study also showed that motorcycle insurance, possession of riding license and the use of helmet were on the low. As a result, recommendations were made to the Ghana Police to enforce laws which will help reduce the occurrence of motorcycle crash.