Aim Riding quad bikes or all-terrain vehicles is a popular recreational sport in Dubai, (United Arab Emirates) with no literature on the injury risk and access to emergency care. This mixed-method study aims to identify any delay in access to emergency care after a quadbike crash and explore the reasons for the delay.

Method The study extracted quad bike-related injury data from Dubai Ambulatory Care Services (DCAS) database between 01/01/2017 and 01/01/2021. Multivariate analysis using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (Version 28. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.) was followed by in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with stakeholders. The interviews were analyzed using NVivo version 12 (QSR International. Version 12, 2021) following a thematic content analytical approach.

Result Of the 226 quad bike crash-related calls to DCAS, 14.6% fit the definition of a delayed call to emergency care. Emirati nationals were less likely to delay calling the ambulance when compared to tourists and non-national expatriates (Odds Ratio=0.388 [95% CI:0.175–0.858]; p=0.019). This was seen in the model adjusted for gender, time, age and injury. Preliminary analysis of stakeholder interviews identified trust in emergency care services, insurance coverage and proximity of emergency care services decreased the delay in using emergency services.

Learning outcomes Despite a well-connected and responsive ambulatory care service in Dubai, tourists and non-national quad bike riders are hesitant to use emergency care services. To improve treatment and recovery, interventions must target to improve insurance coverage and awareness of the available facilities.