Background The number of motorized two-wheelers is increasing rapidly in Tanzania. At the same time, the WHO estimates that this road user group makes up 23% of road-related fatalities in Tanzania (WHO, 2018). One of the contributing factors to crashes that result in fatalities is motorcycle rider behavior.

Objective This study investigates different types of motorcycle safety-related behaviors in Arusha, Tanzania, using the ‘Motorcycle Rider Behavior Questionnaire’ (MRBQ) (Elliot et al., 2007) translated into Swahili. The MRBQ is divided into five sections: traffic errors, speed violations, stunts, safety equipment, and control errors.

Methods The MRBQ was first culturally analyzed to contextualize items for the Tanzanian road environment. In this process, thirty-five questions from the original version were selected and translated by a group of mother-tongue Swahili speakers. A back translation confirmed the validity of the Swahili translation. The questionnaire was administered in the city of Arusha between January 2023 and April 2023

Results 233 riders replied to the online MRBQ. The majority (n=230) were male, and only three were female. Their average age was 25.2 years, and they had obtained their driver’s license an average of 2.4 years before the survey. Riders’ average weekly driving hours were 88.7 hours (12.7h per day). Respondents reported an average of 1.3 crashes in the past 12 months, with older riders reporting more crashes than younger riders. The results of the MRBQ showed relatively high averages on the MRBQ scales traffic errors and speed violations. The factor traffic errors was significantly correlated with self-reported crashes within the last 12 months.

Conclusions The results of the MRBQ in Swahili show how motorcycle riders’ behavior relates to their safety, i.e., their crash frequency. The results can help improve road safety enforcement for Tanzanian riders.