Biomaterial Database

Motorcycle fatalities in New Mexico: the association of helmet nonuse with alcohol intoxication. 1992

D Nelson, and D Sklar, and B Skipper, and P J McFeeley

Division of Emergency Medicine, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque.

OBJECTIVE To determine the relationship among helmet use, alcohol use, and ethnicity in people killed on motorcycles. METHODS Retrospective review of all motorcycle fatalities in New Mexico from 1984 through 1988. METHODS Office of the Medical Investigator, State of New Mexico. METHODS All decedents of motorcycle crashes in New Mexico from 1984 through 1988. METHODS Review of all autopsies, medical investigator reports, traffic fatality reports, and toxicological studies on fatally injured motorcyclists. RESULTS Nine of the helmeted drivers (18%) were legally intoxicated compared with 67 of the nonhelmeted drivers (51%) (chi 2 = 15.7, P less than .0001); 42 of the white nonHispanic decedents (37%), ten of Hispanic decedents (12%), and none of the Native-American decedents were wearing helmets. The head and neck region was the most severely injured body region in 42 of the nonhelmeted cases (84%) and in eight of the helmeted cases (50%) (Fisher's exact test, P less than .02). CONCLUSIONS There is an association between nonuse of helmets and alcohol intoxication in fatally injured motorcyclists in New Mexico. Strategies for preventing motorcycle fatalities should address alcohol abuse and ethnicity in conjunction with helmet use.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007198	Indians, North American	Members of indigenous North American populations with pre-colonial contact origins.	Amerinds, North American,Indigenous North Americans,American Indian, North,American, Indigenous North,Amerind, North American,Indian, North American,Indigenous North American,North American Amerind,North American Amerinds,North American Indian,North American Indians,North American, Indigenous
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D009049	Motorcycles	Two-wheeled, engine-driven vehicles.	Mopeds,Moped,Motorcycle
D009516	New Mexico	State bounded on the north by Colorado, on the east by Oklahoma and Texas, on the south by Texas and Mexico, and on the west by Arizona.
D002423	Cause of Death	Factors which produce cessation of all vital bodily functions. They can be analyzed from an epidemiologic viewpoint.	Causes of Death,Death Cause,Death Causes
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D005260	Female		Females
D006260	Head Protective Devices	Personal devices for protection of heads from impact, penetration from falling and flying objects, and from limited electric shock and burn.	Helmets,Device, Head Protective,Devices, Head Protective,Head Protective Device,Helmet,Protective Device, Head,Protective Devices, Head
D006630	Hispanic or Latino	A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/1997/10/30/97-28653/revisions-to-the-standards-for-the-classification-of-federal-data-on-race-and-ethnicity). In the United States it is used for classification of federal government data on race and ethnicity. Race and ethnicity terms are self-identified social construct and may include terms outdated and offensive in MeSH to assist users who are interested in retrieving comprehensive search results for studies such as in longitudinal studies.	Cuban Americans,Hispanic Americans,Latin Americans, US,Latinas,Latinos,Latinx,Puerto Ricans,Spanish Americans,Hispanics,American, Hispanic,American, US Latin,Cuban American,Hispanic American,Hispanic or Latinos,Latin American, US,Latina,Latino,Puerto Rican,Spanish American,US Latin American,US Latin Americans