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Objective Epidemiological survey of motorcycle accidents occurring in a city with over one million inhabitants and treated at university hospital of reference between the months of July and November 2010. Methods Cross sectional study using structured interview (standardized form) to document the data collection: age, gender, income, using time and capacity of the motorcycle. Results From 114 cases, it was observed that the profile of the victim of motorcycle accident treated at this hospital is a young person, male, possessing a driver's license for less than five years, with a monthly income average around one thousand reais (local currency), owner of a motorcycle with low capacity (less than 150 cc) and low educational attainment. The accidents occurred predominantly in the urban area, in the afternoons and one third of them were considered work-related accidents, death generated in 3 per cent of cases and open fractures in 11 per cent of them. Conclusion The incidence of motorcycle accidents involved mainly young men with little experience in traffic and low level of education.