Motor cycle injuries in speed sport for youngsters.

In speedsport motorcycling for youngsters (6-16 years) is gaining an increasing popularity. We had the impression that there was an increase in the number of injured young motorcyclists. Therefore we studied the kind, cause and severity of the injuries sustained to 32 young motorcyclists treated in the Department of Traumatology of the University Hospital Groningen. This group consisted of 31 boys and one girl, aged 7 to 16, with an average age of 13.3. The severity of the injuries varied from sprain and strain of joints to compound bone fractures and twice a rupture of the liver. 29% of all patients were treated as in patients. Our conclusion from this study is that there was a considerable increase in number of injured young motorcyclists as well as in severity of the injuries. In this study we discuss some suggestions for accident prevention.