OBJECTIVETo analyze the characteristics and causes of motorcycle accidents in China from 2000 to 2005.

METHODSWe collected data on possession of motorcycles and automobiles, number of traffic crashes, casualty and economic loss from 2000-2005 Statistic Annual Report of Traffic Management Bureau, Ministry of Public Security of China. The data was processed statistically by SPSS 11.0 software package.

RESULTSDuring 6 years, the number of motorcycle accidents were up to 122,300 in 2003, which was the highest, and then gradually decreased. However, the casualty had the tendency of consistent increase, for example, the motorcycle accidents resulted in 26,200 deaths and 157,500 injuries in 2005. The mortality per 10, 000 motorcycles and the ratio of deaths to injuries were lower than those of automobiles, but the mortality per 100 motorcycle accidents was significantly higher than that of automobiles (P less than 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSChina has attached great importance to the management of traffic safety, which is beneficial to control and reduce traffic accidents in recent years. However, the casualty keeps increasing annually. Therefore, it is urgent to strengthen the management of motorcycles, promote the education of motorcyclists, take effective traffic measures and improve the first-aid system of traffic injuries.