Risky behaviours among commercial motorcycle riders in Ogbomoso, Nigeria.

Objectives: We examined risky behaviours among the commercial motorcycle riders in Ogbomoso, Nigeria. Methods: It was a community based cross sectional study. The instrument used in collecting data was a semi-structured interviewer administered questionnaire. Information collected included socio-demographic characteristics, risky behaviours, registration of the motorcycle, driver’s license, lecture on road safety and involvement in road accidents. Data was analyzed using stata 12 software. Proportions were determined and statistics presented in tables. Results: A total of 111 commercial motorcyclists were recruited with a mean age of 37.0±10.2 years. Overwhelming majority (97.4%) of the commercial motorcyclists in Ogbomoso engaged in commercial motorcycling as a secondary job. Only 27.0% of them use crash helmet always and majority of them (83.0%) carry more than one passenger at a time while 14.7% of the riders admitted to drinking alcohol before ridding. Majority (75.7%) of the riders learned how to ride from their friends and only 18.9% had valid driver’s license. Conclusion: Commercial motorcycle riders in Ogbomoso engage in so many risky behaviours such as, overloading, non use of crash helmets and riding on trunk A roads.