Motorcycle Racing: Injuries and Trackside Emergency Care

In brief

Injuries during a ten-weekend season of motorcycle road racing were compiled by the author using trackside observation and an end-of-the-season questionnaire. Seven percent of the 2,365 riders were treated for injuries, and there were ten hospitalizations and one death. Most injuries occurred when the riders separated from their machines and tumbled along the track at high speeds. Head injuries with loss of consciousness and amnesia occurred at least once in each event. A total of 25 weeks of hospitalization and 108 weeks of lost work time were reported. Many riders sustained multiple fractures.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Craig Baldwin

Dr. Baldwin Is in the emergency department at University Hospital, State University of New York at Stony Brook.