DOH: Motorbike mishaps have 18% fatality rate

MANILA, Philippines - At least 18 percent of motorcycle accident victims are killed, many before reaching a hospital, the Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday.

Health Secretary Enrique Ona said the figure came from the latest data collated from various government hospitals nationwide.

From April to June this year, the DOH recorded a total of 2,015 vehicular accident-related injuries and nearly half of 49.8 percent were collision accidents.

Almost all or 99.4 percent of those injured secondary to vehicular accidents reached the hospital alive, while 18.8 of fatalities of those declared dead on arrival were motorcycle occupants.

The most commonly sustained types of injuries were open wound or laceration (39.3 percent), abrasion (29 percent), and contusion (13.9 percent).

Based on the DOH’s National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, Ona said, motorcycles still remain as the most common mode of transport of those injured and that only 11.5 percent of those injured motorcycle occupants were using helmets at the time of accident.

About 40 percent of the total reported transport or vehicular accidents occurred in Central Luzon followed by MIMAROPA region (19.8 percent). Majority (73.3 percent) of those injured were males. The 15 to 44-year age group were the ones commonly involved in transport or vehicular accidents, accounting for 64.9 percent of the total cases.

Ona further noted that fall accidents accounted for the second highest cause of external injuries.

“This is because falls due to use of waveboard reached 363. Other causes of injuries include mauling (14.83 percent) and contact with sharp objects (13.06 percent).

According to Ona, most of waveboard fall-related injuries involved children below 15 years old. There were more males than females and that majority of cases occurred in the National Capital Region.

“All road users should take the necessary precaution, especially motorcycle riders,” Ona said as he called on the public to take the necessary precautions.