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Go-Kart Related Injuries: A Local Scene
Hong Kong Journal of Emergency Medicine
Abstract
Objectives
To study the characteristics and nature of injuries relating to go-kart in the local setting and to compare the findings with those reported in the medical literature.
Methods
A prospective survey of patients with go-kart related injuries attending the accident and emergency department of a public district hospital in Hong Kong within the year 2002. The data were analysed and compared with previous studies.
Results
Forty-two patients were collected in the study. The mean age was 26 years. Ten patients (23.8%) were at or below the age of 20 years. Twenty-nine patients (69.0%) were males. Out of the 42 patients, all were riders except one who was a bystander. Thirty-three patients (78.6%) had injuries in indoor tracks. Ten (23.8%) patients were admitted and five (50%) of those admitted required operations. There was no fatality. Twenty-seven patients (64.3%) had only single injury. Most (64.2%) were minor soft tissue injuries. However, fractures or dislocations occurred in 13 patients (31.0%). Two patients (4.8%) suffered from internal organ injuries. Isolated head and facial injuries occurred in 11.9% of patients. All were simple concussion. Nine patients (21.4%) suffered from isolated lower limb injuries, with more than half sustaining fractures or dislocations. Collision with other karts (40.5%) was the most frequent mechanism of injury. Riding in outdoor track was associated significantly with increased admission when compared with indoor track (77.8% vs 9.1%, p<0.001). There was no association between rider's age, gender, previous riding or injury experience, or the presence of briefing before the race with the rate of admission.
Conclusion
Go-kart racing and working on racing track can be a recreation or occupation with potential dangers. In our study, characteristics of patients, mechanisms and types of injuries were similar to other western studies. Accidents on outdoor tracks appeared to be more serious and more likely admitted than those on indoor circuits. Special safety precautions on outdoor events may help to reduce the severity of injuries. However, drivers with more riding or injury experiences were not exempted from severe injuries. Moreover, presence of briefing before the race did not help reduce the admission rate either. Perhaps, a safe and careful attitude of the rider and a seriously conducted briefing by a qualified instructor would be more important to reduce accidents. Further proper large scale controlled epidemiological studies will definitely help to improve the understanding of go-kart related injuries.
... Eker et al. published a study detailing the injury mechanisms suffered by 600 karting practitioners in The Netherlands during a specific year [8]. In 2002 a study of cases that needed emergency care in Hong Kong showed that accidents on outdoor tracks appeared to be more serious and more likely to occur than those on indoor circuits [9]. Whitfield et al. published a case study that gathered information about injuries derived from 'Go-Kart' and 'Fun Kart' [10]. ...
... The studies published (9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18) found that injuries sustained in 'Go-Kart' are more serious than those found in the present study focused in competition karting. Further studies are needed, on the same age groups and the same vehicles, to confirm these differences. ...
... Go-kart-related injuries and fatalities have been investigated in several studies [1,2,5,[7][8][9][10][11]13,14,16,19,22,23,26,28,30]. Some recommendations have been provided in regards to how the injuries may be mitigated [8,9,16,30]. ...
... Adler [1] identified that go-karts were hitting obstacles, such as dirt mounds and street kerbing, resulting in the occupant being thrown forward out of the go-kart and/or the go-kart rolling over onto the occupant. Ng and Chung [19], in a prospective survey of individuals presented to the ED of a public district hospital in Hong Kong during 2002, identified 42 go-kart-related injuries. Around two-thirds of the individuals were male, one-quarter were aged less than 20 years. ...
Go-kart-related injuries and fatalities have been investigated in several international studies over the past two decades, yet few have focussed on their crashworthiness. Go-karts are a unique racing and recreational vehicle that require careful consideration in terms of crashworthiness issues. Furthermore, no studies have been reported investigating Australian go-kart-related injuries and fatalities. To address this gap, the pattern of hospitalised morbidity and death associated with go-kart-related injuries in Australia were analysed. Also an in-depth case study of a go-kart fatal incident was simulated using a multi-body program commonly used to design crashworthy vehicle and barrier systems in order to highlight implications for the crashworthy design required for go-kart safety equipment and barrier protection. Recommendations concerning accessible safety devices such as seat belts, roll bars and appropriately designed energy dissipating crashworthy barrier systems are discussed.
... Go-kart injuries and fatalities have been investigated by a number of researchers over the past four decades (Miller and Proctor, 1973;Youngson and Baker, 1978;Freeman et al., 1994;Stooksbury, 1996;Seow et al., 1998;Wilcoxon, 1999;Adler, 2000;Govaert et al., 2001;Stam, 2002;Grzebieta et al., 2004;Suddaby and Mowery, 2004;Ng and Chung, 2005;Conn et al., 2006;Li and Leong, 2006;Collins et al., 2007;Thomas et al., 2009;Eker et al., 2010;Grzebieta et al., 2010;Ahmad et al., 2011;Grzebieta et al., 2013). Yet little research has been carried out to increase their crashworthiness. ...
Concession go-karts are recreational hire-vehicles with a unique and challenging set of crashworthiness requirements. A case study reconstruction of a fatal crash involving a female rider, that occurred at a speed of 25 km/h on an 'in-door' circuit, has revealed a number of crashworthiness issues that need to be considered by both designers and operators. Details of the forensic investigation of the crash, associated laboratory tests and MADYMO computer simulations indicated three outcomes. First, four-point harnesses must be properly fitted and tightened or alternatively tightened five-point harnesses should be used. Second, a stiff roll bar should be used to minimise movement forward on the belt anchor points. Finally, when tyre barriers are placed in close proximity to concrete walls, the tyres need to have the appropriate stiffness characteristics, be interconnected, at least two tyres deep with flat conveyor belt fascia affixed, and where practical the barrier placed 0.5 m away from the wall.
Karting is a very demanding sport, potentially risky that begins at an early age, in Colombia even at 4 years. Despite the low fatality related accidents with karting, the high frequency of accidents can cause musculoskeletal problems that require appropriate preventive management and rehabilitation. Additionally, it is necessary to prepare both physically and mentally pilots to improve their performance, decrease stress and the appearance of lesions and the subsequent abandonment of the sport early. For this reason the multidisciplinary support (where there should be professionals of sport medicine and physical medicine and rehabilitation) of pilots implies a profound knowledge of each of the factors involved, to thereby achieve a suitable Fitness of the pilot and make this practice increasingly safe and enjoyable.
El kartismo es una actividad deportiva muy exigente y potencialmente riesgosa que se inicia a muy temprana edad, en Colombia incluso a los 4 años. A pesar de la baja fatalidad de los accidentes relacionados con el kartismo, la gran frecuencia de incidentes pueden generar problemas musculo-esqueléticos que requieren de un manejo preventivo y de rehabilitación adecuado. Adicionalmente es necesario preparar tanto física como mentalmente a los pilotos para mejorar su desempeño, disminuir el estrés, así como la aparición de lesiones y el subsecuente abandono temprano de la práctica deportiva. Por tal razón el acompañamiento multidisciplinario (en donde debe haber profesionales de medicina deportiva y medicina física y rehabilitación) para los pilotos, implica un conocimiento profundo de cada uno de los factores implicados, para de esa manera lograr una adecuado Fitness del piloto y hacer de esta una práctica cada vez más segura y placentera.
Injury in Review, 2012 Edition: Spotlight on Road and Transport Safety, the first national public health report of its kind, synthesizes road- and transport-related injury statistics from a variety of sources. It profiles injury patterns among Canadians aged up to 24 years, explains risks and protective factors, and makes recommendations for action. The findings inform the development of targeted injury prevention efforts.
Isolated duodenal injury due to blunt abdominal trauma is extremely rare. We present a series of three such injuries due to go-karting accidents, which presented to our hospital over 5 months.
Between October 2007 and February 2008, three cases of D3/D4 duodenal rupture presented to our hospital after go-karting accidents. Trauma occurred as a result of the steering wheel impacting on the abdomen. All patients presented similarly with symptoms of epigastric and right upper quadrant pain. In all cases, computed tomography scanning was highly suggestive of duodenal injury and, in particular, demonstrated presence of retroperitoneal air centred around the duodenum. Treatment required laparotomy and operative repair in all cases.
Duodenal injury presents insidiously due to its retroperitoneal position. A low threshold for investigating patients presenting with epigastric and right upper quadrant pain should be adopted along with active clinical vigilance to exclude serious and life-threatening trauma after go-karting accidents.
The pattern and number of injuries which have occurred over a period of 4 years at Aviemore Kart Tract are described. Some of the modifications which have significantly reduced the number and severity of the injuries are discussed.
Twelve serious go-kart injuries were seen in three months. Almost all of these were caused by the steering wheel and all could have been prevented or their severity reduced by the use of a seat belt.
Indoor go-karting has recently increased in popularity. More people are attending hospital with related injuries. The go-kart has always been relatively safe; its low centre of gravity and wide wheel base affords it great stability, but one can expect an increase in injury rate as karts travel faster around more ambitious circuits. The implementation of safety standards is imperative. Three cases of serious injury of the shoulder region are described. Safety aspects and possible preventative measures are discussed. (A)
Go-kart related injuries & deaths to children Available from: http://www.cpsc.gov
- P Alder
Alder P. Go-kart related injuries & deaths to children
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http://www.cpsc.gov/LIBRARY/FOIA/Foia00/os/gokart.pdf.
Isolated traumatic rupture of kidney associated with a go-karting accident.
- C S Seow
- M Goh
- G M Fullarton
Seow CS, Goh M, Fullarton GM. Isolated traumatic
rupture of kidney associated with a go-karting accident.
Prehosp Immed Care 1998;2:202-3.
Go-karts: guidance on safe operation and use
- Safety Health
- Executive
Health and Safety Executive. Go-karts: guidance on safe
operation and use. London: HSE Books; 2000.
Go-cart/fun-kart related injuries and death
- P Alder
Isolated traumatic rupture of kidney associated with a go‐karting accident.
- Seow C.S.