INTRODUCTION. Discussions on road safety are both timely and relevant. From its sixth place place in 1995, death from road accidents rose to fourth in 2004, and is expected to become the second leading cause of death worldwide by 2020. lt is notable that road accidents specifically motorcycle accidents are increasingly more common among developing countries such as the Philippines.

OBJECTIVES. Because of this growing public concern, this cross-sectional descriptive study aims to determine the profile of motorcycle accidents in Metro Manila, the prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries resulting from such accidents, and to propose recommendations for its prevention.

METHODS. Charts and clinical records of road accident victims from three major institutions namely, the Philippine General Hospital, Philippine Orthopedic Center and East Avenue Medical Center were selected. The profile of these patients and the incidence of musculoskeletal injuries were gathered.

RESULTS. Males were found to be more involved in these accidents with an average age in the range of 21 to 35 years. The most common time of fatal vehicular accidents was at 9 p.m. while nonfatal injuries occurred most commonly around 4 a.m. Motorcycles rank as the leading cause of injuries to motorists, both fatal and nonfatal. There was a 16.3% increase in the incidence of motorcycle-related musculoskeletal injuries from 2007 to 2008. The lower extremity was involved in half of cases with the rest occurring in the spine and upper extremity. The most commonly involved segment was the tibia (25%), followed by the femur (20%) and the forearm (12.5%).

SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS. It is apparent that the increase in vehicular crash causing fatal accidents is due to an increased number of motorcycles and cars, and these commonly involve the pedestrian and drivers. It is understandable that in order to improve road safety, education should be enhanced among motorists and students alike as a form of prevention, and primary trauma centers should be determined to facilitate identifying which centers can adequately manage these injured motorists.