In this article, the objective was understand the representations of motorcyclists that suffered a traffic accident about the risks as well as the various means of transportation. The qualitative approach was based on the notions proposed by Giami, using the psychosocial frame of the Social Representations. We interviewed 16 motorcyclists injured in traffic accidents in Belo Horizonte-MG/Brazil, that were cared for at a referral hospital for trauma. Results show that everyday experiences, the attributes observed in vehicles and above all, involvement in traffic accidents are used as a framework to represent transport as “safe” or “unsafe”. The balance between the advantages and disadvantages presented by the vehicles are basic to predict the option for this or that kind of vehicle. Although the motorcycle is considered an unsafe vehicle, its use is defended by the interviewees who continue to imagine themselves untouchable.
Traffic accidents; Motorcycles; Risk; Public Health; Qualitative research