{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,4]],"date-time":"2026-08-04T07:45:38Z","timestamp":1785829538863,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":14,"publisher":"AOSIS","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,6]],"date-time":"2026-08-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785974400000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background:\u00a0Road crashes continue to cause morbidity and mortality in South Africa, with motorbike accidents causing serious musculoskeletal injuries. The rapid growth of e-hailing delivery services has increased the number of motorbike drivers on congested urban roads, increasing their vulnerability to crashes.\nAim:\u00a0This scoping review examined South African motorbike delivery driver road traffic crashes, injury patterns, economic implications, and related regulatory gaps.\nSetting:\u00a0South African public healthcare and trauma systems.\nMethods:\u00a0A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science was performed for studies published between 2020 and 2025. The search strategy combined Medical Subject Headings and Emtree terms pertaining to motorbikes, delivery services, and injury-related outcomes. Eligible English-language studies were included, with data extracted using a standardised collection sheet and synthesised descriptively.\nResult:\u00a0The review comprised three studies with 133 participants with 161 orthopaedic injuries. The studies conducted in Cape Town, Tembisa, and Pretoria consistently reported that delivery motorbike crashes result in high-energy trauma predominantly affecting young, male riders. The predominant injuries consisted of severe long-bone fractures and polytrauma in patients. Across sites, most patients required surgical intervention, and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions were necessary in the most severe cases. The treatment of these patients incurred substantial costs. Expenses were predominantly influenced by surgical procedures, prolonged hospitalisation, ICU treatment, and implants.\nConclusion:\u00a0Motorbike delivery drivers in South Africa face disproportionate health risks and financial insecurity because of traffic-related injuries.\nContribution:\u00a0This review highlights important policy and legislative gaps and supports reforms aimed at improving occupational protection and road safety for delivery drivers.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4102\/jphia.v17i1.1822","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,4]],"date-time":"2026-08-04T06:54:22Z","timestamp":1785826462000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Delivery motorbike crash injuries in South Africa: A scoping review and call for policy reform"],"prefix":"10.4102","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4045-5301","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pududu A.","family":"Rachuene","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00g0p6g84","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"University of Pretoria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1235-3597","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Falethu","family":"Sukati","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00g0p6g84","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"University of Pretoria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7564-3308","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mthunzi","family":"Ngcelwane","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2580","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref0","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Norman R, Matzopoulos R, Groenewald P, Bradshaw D. The high burden of injuries in South Africa. Bull World Health Organ. 2007;85(9):649\u2013702. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2471\/blt.06.037184","DOI":"10.2471\/BLT.06.037184"},{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Thikhathali ND, Ngcelwane MV. The burden of road traffic accident-related trauma to orthopaedic healthcare and resource utilisation at a South African Tertiary Hospital: A cost analysis study. S Afr Orthop J. 2022;21(4):217\u2013222.","DOI":"10.17159\/2309-8309\/2022\/v21n4a5"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Olukoga A. Cost analysis of road traffic crashes in South Africa. Inj Control Saf Promot. 2004;11(1):59\u201362. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1076\/icsp.11.1.59.26304","DOI":"10.1076\/icsp.11.1.59.26304"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Rachuene PA, Masipa RR, Dey R, et al. 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Syst Rev. 2016;5:210. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s13643-016-0384-4","DOI":"10.1186\/s13643-016-0384-4"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Govender ST, Connellan GI, Ngcoya NS. Orthopaedic-related trauma in e-hailing motorcycle drivers at a single centre in South Africa. S Afr Orthop J. 2024;23(2):82\u201385.","DOI":"10.17159\/2309-8309\/2024\/v23n2a4"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Nzimande SMD, Sukati FM. The epidemiology and pattern of orthopaedic injuries caused by delivery motorbike accidents (DMBA) at a South African Tertiary Hospital. Open Public Health J. 2025;18(1):1\u201311. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2174\/0118749445351689250203080318","DOI":"10.2174\/0118749445351689250203080318"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ward JM, Klopper SW, Louw F, Schmieschek MHT. The cost of convenience: Initial costs to the state healthcare system of orthopaedic injuries in uninsured delivery motorcyclists in Cape Town. S Afr Orthop J. 2024;23(4):174\u2013179. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.17159\/2309-8309\/2024\/v23n4a3","DOI":"10.17159\/2309-8309\/2024\/v23n4a3"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Pollock D, Tricco AC, Peters MD, et al. Methodological quality, guidance, and tools in scoping reviews: A scoping review protocol. JBI Evid Synth. 2022;20(4):1098\u20131105. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.11124\/JBIES-20-00570","DOI":"10.11124\/JBIES-20-00570"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Razzak JA, Bhatti J, Wright K, Nyirenda M, Tahir MR, Hyder AA. Improvement in trauma care for road traffic injuries: An assessment of the effect on mortality in low-income and middle-income countries. Lancet. 2022;400(10348):329\u2013336. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/S0140-6736(22)00887-X","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(22)00887-X"},{"key":"ref12","unstructured":"South African Government. Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993. 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Available from: https:\/\/www.transport.gov.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/SECOND-AMENDMENT-OF-THE-NATIONAL-LAND-TRANSPORT-REGULATIONS-2024.pdf"}],"container-title":["Journal of Public Health in Africa"],"original-title":[],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,4]],"date-time":"2026-08-04T06:54:27Z","timestamp":1785826467000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/publichealthinafrica.org\/index.php\/jphia\/article\/view\/1822"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,6]]},"references-count":14,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,1]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/jphia.v17i1.1822","relation":{},"ISSN":["2038-9922","2038-9930"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2038-9922","type":"print"},{"value":"2038-9930","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,6]]},"article-number":"a1822"}}