Driving experience and the risk of traffic accident among motorcyclists

doi:10.1016/0277-9536(90)90163-M

Social Science & Medicine

Volume 30, Issue 5, 1990, Pages 639-640

https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(90)90163-M Get rights and content

Abstract

In a case-control study on the risk of traffic accidents among motorcyclists in Singapore, we demonstrated an inverse monotonic relationship between accident risk and driving experience. As compared to drivers with less that 1 yr of driving experience, the odds ratios (adjusted for race, age and frequency of riding) for those with driving experience of 1–4, 5–9 and 10 yr or more were 0.60, 0.50 and 0.36, respectively. We propose that intensive in-circuit training of learner motorcyclists should replace the conventional on-the-road training on the basis that the former serves to increase their driving experience without subjecting the learner motorcyclists to the risk of sustaining road accident.

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There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (18)

The role of inexperience in motorcycle crashes among novice and returning motorcycle riders
2022, Journal of Safety Research
Objectives: To examine the crash trends of younger novice and older novice/returning motorcycle riders. Methods: We used a linked database of North Carolina crash and licensing data from 1991 through 2018 that included 103,142 younger novice and 98,540 older novice/returning motorcycle riders. We examined the percent of riders who crashed each month after obtaining a motorcycle license. Results: Crash rates peak for both younger novice and older novice/returning motorcycle riders immediately after licensure. Crash rates decline rapidly, and the rate of decrease resembles a power function. The improvement rate (IR) for younger novice riders is 0.42; that is, the crash rate for younger novices declines by approximately 42% as experience doubles. Conclusion: The crash curve for novice motorcyclists is similar to that of novice car drivers and is consistent with a learning process. Practical Applications: The crash trends of novice motorcycle riders indicate that current training, licensing, and educational efforts are not adequately preparing new riders. Additional efforts to develop more effective training, and research to inform a well-calibrated graduated licensing process for new riders are needed.
Crash risk factors for novice motorcycle riders
2020, Journal of Safety Research
Citation Excerpt :
In our study, longer combined duration of holding a rider learner permit and restricted license decreased the risk of crashing. Similar to our findings, previous studies have shown that increased riding experience, measured in years of riding, has a protective effect on motorcycle rider crashes (Lin, Chang, Pai, & Keyl, 2003; Wong et al., 1990). This has been attributed to greater experience resulting in higher risk awareness, detection of hazards in the road environment, and assessment of the risk of crash compared to less experienced riders (Bellet & Banet, 2012).
Background: Motorcycle riders have the highest injury and fatality rates among all road users. This research sought in-depth understanding of crash risk factors to help in developing targeted measures to reduce motorcycle crash injuries and fatalities. Methods: We used interview data from a study of 2,399 novice motorcycle riders in Victoria, Australia from 2010 to 2012 linked with their police-recorded crash and offence data. The outcome measure was self and/or police reported crash. The association between potential risk factors and crashes was explored in multivariable logistic regression models. Results: In the multivariable analysis, riders who reported being involved in three or more near crashes had 1.74 times (95% CI 1.11–2.74) higher odds of crashing compared to riders who reported no near-crash events, and riders who participated in a pre-learner course had 1.41 times higher odds of crashing (95% CI 1.07–1.87) compared with riders who did not attend a pre-learner course. Riders who had been involved in a crash before the study had 1.58 times (95% CI 1.14–2.19) higher odds of crashing during the study period compared with riders who were not involved in a crash. Each additional month of having held a license and learner permit decreased the odds of crashing by 2%, and each additional 1,000 km of riding before the study increased the odds of crashing by 2%. Conclusion: Measures of pre-learner training and riding experience were the strongest predictors of crashing in this cohort of novice motorcycle riders. At the time of the study there was no compulsory rider training to obtain a learner permit in Victoria and no on-road courses were available. It may be plausible that riders who voluntarily participated in an unregulated pre-learner course became or remained at high risk of crash after obtaining a rider license. We suggest systematically reviewing the safety benefits of voluntary versus mandatory pre-learner and learner courses and the potential need to include on-road components.
Determinants of certified motorcycle helmet use among postal delivery riders at rural areas in Peninsular Malaysia
2019, IATSS Research
This study aims to identify the determinants of certified helmet use among postal delivery riders (PDRs) in rural areas of Peninsular Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was done among 269 PDRs from 50 postal distribution centres (DC) nationwide. Data collection was achieved through observation of the helmets and a questionnaire. The quality of the motorcycle helmets was determined by the presence of the certification label issued by the Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (SIRIM). The response rate was 99.3%. The odds of full-shell helmets having the SIRIM label were 37.1 times more than that of the half-shell helmets. The odds of non-purchased helmets having the SIRIM label were 14.9 times more than that of the purchased helmets. The odds of expensive helmets having the SIRIM label were 4.4 times more than that for cheaper motorcycle helmets. The odds of helmets owned by riders without a previous crash history having the SIRIM label were 1.9 times more than helmets owned by riders with a crash history. Full-shell helmets with SIRIM standard certification, non-purchased helmets, helmet price of US$11.00 or more, and motorcycle riders without any previous crash history were determinants that contributed towards the use of a certified motorcycle helmet. Multiple logistic regression indicated that two variables significantly predicted the use of a certified motorcycle helmet among PDRs – helmet type and cost. An employer that provides the employees with full-shell motorcycle helmets with SIRIM standard certification label that costs at least US$11.00 and hiring motorcycle riders without any previous crash history gives a higher chance of compliance with standard certified motorcycle helmet usage.
Incidence and impact of road traffic accidents among motorcycle taxi drivers in a tropical country
2016, Revue de Chirurgie Orthopedique et Traumatologique
Les accidents de la voie publique sont responsables d’un grand nombre de décès et de séquelles invalidantes dans le monde. Le phénomène béninois de taxi-moto est reconnu dans la sous-région ouest-africaine avec environ 12 538 pratiquants à Cotonou en 2013. Le but de notre étude était d’évaluer l’incidence et la conséquence des accidents de circulation chez les conducteurs de taxi-moto à Cotonou. Cette étude prospective, descriptive et analytique sur douze mois a porté sur tous les conducteurs de taxi-moto victimes d’accident de circulation à Cotonou, admis au CNHU-HKM. Deux cent vingt-deux patients ont été inclus (âge moyen 32,8 ans) avec une incidence de 1,77 %. Les lésions principales étaient surtout localisées à la tête et au cou (59,7 %). Quarante-quatre pour cent des patients sortaient après les soins d’urgence, 32 % étaient en observation et 24 % hospitalisés. La mortalité était de 5,2 %. La fréquence des AVP sur les taxi-motos est faible mais les conséquences sont très lourdes, avec un taux de mortalité très élevé. L’utilisation de casques et de couloirs cyclistes va contribuer à la réduction des accidents de circulation et particulièrement à la baisse des traumatismes crâniens. Ces mesures doivent continuer à être appliquées.
Modeling offenses among motorcyclists involved in crashes in Spain
2013, Accident Analysis and Prevention
Citation Excerpt :
This result coincides with that obtained by Haque et al. (2009), who state that inexperienced riders overestimate their riding skills and underestimate risks approaching hazards with inappropriate actions. Likewise, the results obtained in the current study and in Haque et al. (2009) are in line with those obtained by Lin et al. (2003), Lin and Kraus (2009), Liu et al. (2009), Machin and Sankey (2008) and Wong et al. (1990) in their studies on crash risk and crash severity. So, motorcyclists with low experience have previously been found to be a factor that increases crash risk, crash severity, at-fault crashes and, from this study, can also be considered to be a factor that increases the probability of committing offences prior to the traffic accident.
In relative terms, Spanish motorcyclists are more likely to be involved in crashes than other drivers and this tendency is constantly increasing. The objective of this study is to identify the factors that are related to being an offender in motorcycle accidents. A binary logit model is used to differentiate between offender and non-offender motorcyclists. A motorcyclist was considered to be offender when s/he had committed at least one traffic offense at the moment previous to the crash. The analysis is based on the official accident database of the Spanish general directorate of traffic (DGT) for the 2003–2008 time period. A number of explanatory variables including motorcyclist characteristics and environmental factors have been evaluated. The results suggest that inexperienced, older females, not using helmets, absent-minded and non-fatigued riders are more likely to be offenders. Moreover, riding during the night, on weekends, for leisure purposes and along roads in perfect condition, mainly on curves, predict offenses among motorcyclists. The findings of this study are expected to be useful in developing traffic policy decisions in order to improve motorcyclist safety.
Stereotype threat and hazard perception among provisional license drivers
2013, Accident Analysis and Prevention
Citation Excerpt :
A variety of psychosocial and attitudinal factors are also known to contribute to the accident rate among young drivers, including impaired risk perception (Clarke et al., 2005), risk-taking attitudes (Ulleberg and Rundmo, 2003, 2008), lower self-control and heightened levels of aggression (Begg and Langley, 2004), higher levels of anxiety, reward-sensitivity and sensation-seeking (Scott-Parker et al., 2012b), higher susceptibility to peer pressure (Lin and Fearn, 2003; Scott-Parker et al., 2012a), and an optimism bias (White et al., 2011), such that young drivers generally believe they will be less likely to have a traffic accident than their peers. The factor most widely thought to be associated with the increased accident risk among young drivers and PLDs is, however, their relative inexperience, and their consequent lack of driving skill compared to other driver groups (Ginsburg et al., 2008; Hartos et al., 2001; Wong et al., 1990). Lam (2003b) has shown, for example, that learner drivers with less experience have notably higher crash rates than those with more experience, suggesting that there is a linear or asymptotic increase in driving skill as a function of time behind the wheel.
Stereotype threat refers to the negative impact a stereotype about one's group can have on one's performance in domains relevant to the stereotype. In the current paper, we explore whether the negative stereotype of provisional license drivers (PLDs) might produce stereotype threat in a driving-related hazard perception task. We manipulate threat by asking participants to self-identify as PLDs in a categorization condition, or by reminding PLD participants explicitly of the stereotype of PLDs in an explicit stereotype condition. Results reveal increments in hazard perception in the categorization condition, and decrements in hazard perception in the explicit stereotype condition. Mediation analysis reveals that hazard perception performance is fully mediated by increased effort in the categorization condition and by decreased effort in the explicit stereotype condition. We discuss these findings in terms of their implications for stereotype threat and its mediators, and for public policy that explicitly discriminates between PLDs and other driver groups.

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Research noteDriving experience and the risk of traffic accident among motorcyclists

Abstract

Yearbook of Statistics

Adelaide In-depth Accident Study, 1975–1979

Research note
Driving experience and the risk of traffic accident among motorcyclists