J Trauma
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This report describes the incidence, nature, and severity of trauma for injuried and medically treated motorcyclists in Sacramento County, California in 1970. Using official police reports, hospital admission, and emergency-room medical records, 1,273 persons with a confirmed medically treated motorcycle injury were identified. Since less than 39% of all injured motorcyclists were identified in this study by use of official police reports only, statistics which rely solely on these reports greatly underestimate the frequency of motorcycle collision injuries in the community. ⋯ Almost 45% of injured motorcyclists suffered a serious injury, with injuries to the musculoskeletal system in the form of fractures being the most common. The average length of hospital stay was 12 days, and three-fourths of those injured indicated one or more days of disability. Physicians should be alert to the fact that persons injured in motorcycle collisions commonly sustain multiple fractures and other serious injuries.