The effect of motorcycle safety campaign on helmet use: A systematic review and meta-analysis

ObjectiveThis systematic review and meta-analysis was undertaken to estimate the effectiveness of motorcycle safety campaigns for increasing helmet use among motorcycle riders and passengers.MethodsPubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, and the Web of Science (WOS) databases were systematically searched up June 2020 for all relevant studies. The National Institute of Health (NIH) tool was used to assess the quality of all included studies. Inter-study heterogeneity was measured using the Chi-Squared and I² statistics, with the odds ratio (OR) being used as a measure of the pooled effect size.ResultsOut of the 561 records identified from the literature searches, eight articles (or 11 studies) were eligible for inclusion in the present meta-analysis. Using a random effects model, the results of the meta-analysis demonstrated statistically significant increases in helmet use among motorcycle riders (OR = 4.52, 95% CI: 1.01–20.14, I² = 99.9%) and passengers (OR = 6.57, 95% CI: 1.41–30.56, I² = 99.9%). The findings of sensitivity analyses, based on alternative levels of r for imputing the standard error (SE) of the ORs, showed the pooled OR of helmet use among motorcycle riders (r = 0.7; 3.49; 95% CI: 0.78, 16.44; r = 0.9; 3.49; 95% CI: 0.76, 16.11) was sensitive to different levels of r. However, no significant effect was detected on the pooled effect size for different correlation coefficients for motorcycle passengers (r = 0.7; 6.56; 95% CI: 1.59, 27.00; r = 0.9; 6.56; 95% CI: 2.25, 19.13). Increases in helmet use among motorcycle passengers were found in studies that: monitored pre and post campaign periods for longer than one year and were conducted in Thailand or Vietnam. However, the effect of motorcycle safety campaigns on helmet use among motorcycle riders remained significant for all of the different strata included.ConclusionThe present meta-analysis found that motorcycle safety campaigns can lead to a significant increase in helmet use among both motorcycle riders and passengers. Due to the high degree of inter study heterogeneity, these findings should be interpreted with some caution. Despite the apparent favourable influence of motorcycle safety campaigns, more robust research is required.     

Safety of child passengers who ride to school on a motorcycle: An observational study in two Argentine cities

In low- and middle-income countries, the motorcycle has increasingly become a means of family transportation due to its low cost and the poor quality of public transportation. Consequently, many child motorcycle passengers are at an elevated risk of serious injury in the event of a traffic crash. The available research on child safety devices is scarce and focused mainly on helmet use, while other devices (e.g. high-visibility clothing) have received little attention. This observational study documented the safety conditions and related factors of primary schoolchildren who rode to school as motorcycle passengers in two cities of Argentina.Data was obtained in the vicinity of 27 public primary schools in two cities of Argentina (one mid-sized city and the other a small city by the country's standards) between May 2018 and September 2019. A total of 1440 motorcycle occupants (656 drivers and 784 child passengers) were observed.The use of an adequate helmet was lower among children (vs. drivers). Most of the children were unable to reach the motorcycle's footrests, did not use high-visibility clothing or a fastening device, carried a backpack, and mounted and dismounted the motorcycle in an unsafe place. Some children rode in front of the driver or in a motorcycle with three or four occupants. Use of helmet by drivers and driver sex (woman) were related with an increase in safety in children. The indicators were worse in the larger city.The results revealed a low level of adoption of safety measures in children as well as in adults in both cities. This suggests that motorcycle travel is unsafe. Greater effort is needed to improve motorcycle safety, especially for children. It is important to debate regulatory details such as a minimum age for passengers, a limit on the number of passengers, and other safety criteria. It is also important to conduct educational campaigns that include the distribution of safety devices.     

Motorcycle fatalities in Malaysia

Malaysia has the highest road fatality risk (per 100,000 population) among the ASEAN countries and more than 50% of the road accident fatalities involve motorcyclists. This study has collected and analysed data from the police, government authorities, and national and international research institutes. Only fatality data are used due to the severe underreporting of severe injuries (up to 600%) and slight injuries (up to 1400%). The analysis reveals that the highest numbers of motorcycle fatalities occur in rural locations (61%), on primary roads (62%) and on straight road sections (66%). The majority are riders (89%), 16 to 20 years old (22.5%), and 90% of the motorcycles are privately owned. Of those involved in fatal accidents, 75% of the motorcyclists wear helmets, and 35% do not have proper licences. The highest number of fatalities by type of collision is ‘angular or side’ (27.5%). Although fatal motorcyclist crashes mostly involve ‘passenger cars’ (28%), motorcyclists are responsible for 50% of the collisions either by crashing singly (25%) or with other motorcyclists (25%). While male motorcyclists predominate (94% of fatalities), female motorcyclists aged 31 to 70, possessing ‘no licence’, not wearing helmets and travelling during the day, account for a higher percentage than male motorcyclists. Malaysia must acquire more motorcycle exposure data and establish an injury recording system and database based on hospital-records. To reduce motorcycle fatalities, it first has to understand why young male motorcyclists are prone to fatal crashes in the evenings and on weekends on rural primary roads, especially on straight road sections.     

Determinants of certified motorcycle helmet use among postal delivery riders at rural areas in Peninsular Malaysia

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.     

Exclusive motorcycle lanes: A systematic review

Road accidents are the main leading cause of death, and more than half of people killed in road accidents are motorcyclists, pedestrians, and bicyclists. In developing countries, the share of motorcycles is very high in the traffic stream, which results in an increased number of accidents. Nonetheless, a high share of motorcycles and risky riding behavior of motorcyclists raise notable threats to other road users as well as themselves. Segregating motorcycles from the main traffic stream by providing an Exclusive MotorCycle Lane (EMCL) is reported as one of the strategies to improve motorcyclist's safety and overall road safety. Although EMCLs are successfully running in some Asian countries like Malaysia, Taiwan, and Indonesia, and have reported reducing motorcycle accidents, existing literature related to such lanes is limited and lacks combined contemplation of various design factors. Therefore, a systematic review of studies related to EMCL was carried out in the present paper using the PRISMA approach. The review was majorly divided into the following three categories viz., geometric design elements of EMCL, motorcyclist's flow characteristics on EMCL, and traffic control measures for EMCL to highlight the research lacunas in this field. The present study aims to cast light on the need for specific geometric design standards for EMCL and to assess the safety impact of segregating motorcyclists from other mixed traffic. The review highlights that the design standards for EMCL should be based on the motorcycle's characteristics, as it varies from other vehicle categories in terms of riding behavior and the physical properties of the motorcycle.     

Motorcyclists' beliefs of compliance with the Malaysian school zone speed limit (SZSL)

Many road crashes that occur in school zones involve child pedestrians. Research has identified three contributing factors to road crashes, namely child behaviour, driver behaviour, and the environment. This study aims to identify critical beliefs that influence motorcyclist's intention to comply with the Malaysian school zone speed limit (SZSL). 159 Malaysian motorcyclists who have travel experience in school zones during school hours and non-school hours were recruited by using purposive sampling. Participants responded to a survey distributed by enumerators in public places and house-to-house survey conducted in Kedah, Malaysia. Step-by-step correlation and regression analysis were used to identify the motorcyclists' critical beliefs. The results identified that motorcyclists' beliefs of the community expectation for them to comply and that complying with the speed limit in school zones may reduce risk of crashes with school children were the critical beliefs. In addition, the observation of many motorcyclists in the school zone was also identified as critical beliefs influencing motorcyclists' intention to comply with the SZSL. The practical relevance of this study is to combine a public awareness campaign and safety education for the motorcyclists together with an enforcement method to reinforce motorcyclists' compliance with the SZSL. Additionally, to increase the awareness level among motorcyclists, traffic control devices, such as flashing lights and yellow lines could be implemented.     

機車騎士未戴安全帽辨識之研究

臺灣地區機車車輛數眾多,但在應用在機車騎士執法上這一層面較少討論到。國人普遍駕駛習慣不良,而道路交通事故的發生常常就是因爲用路人不守法的行爲所致,近年來未戴安全帽而招舉報的案件上昇10萬多件,使得交通安全的問題日益嚴重。文中使用監視攝影機,透過模糊類神經演算法的運算,篩選出未戴安全帽者,並可結合顔色特徵作進一步分析,提高其辨識率,進行未戴安全帽的辨識工作。這一研究經簡單測試有九成的準確率,在智慧型執法系統中有輔助的效應,也殿立了後續發展的基礎。     

Behavioral factors of motorcyclists in right-turn movements at unsignalized intersections: An insight from Yogyakarta,Indonesia

Conflicting actions of motorcyclists making right-turn movements (RTM) pose a considerable risk of accidents, which is of great concern when attempting to augment the level of safety at unsignalized intersections. This study was conducted to identify the habits of motorcyclists in RTMs, including normal RTM, weaving/merging RTM, and opposite indirect RTM when crossing unsignalized intersections. The behavioral factors were affected by gender, passenger status, motorcycle type, STOP factor, speed, travel time, and lane width of major and minor roads, which were tested using multinomial and nested logit models on 2358 motorcyclists. The results indicated that all of the observed variables significantly influenced motorcyclists' behaviors at unsignalized intersections, excepting the variable of travel time. The factors of speed and lane width on minor roads significantly correlated to motorcyclist behaviors during weaving and merging RTM only. The logit model reveals that female motorcyclists tend to make normal RTMs. The study also proposes ideal and practical recommendations, such as stop and speed regulations, channelization, number of lanes and lane widths, and maneuver markers, in order to address dangerous behaviors, in particular weaving and merging and opposite indirect-type RTMs.     

An analysis of motorcyclists' injury severities in work-zone crashes with unobserved heterogeneity

Work-zone related crashes in Florida are increasing steadily in recent years. With such growing concern, work-zone is recognized in Florida Strategic Highway Safety Plan. The severity and complexity of motorcycle crashes in work-zones is critically important and worth investigating. However, the resulting effect of work-zone on motorcyclists' injuries in work-zone crashes is not fully understood. The purpose of study is to identify the contributing factors of motorcyclists' injury severity sustained in the work-zone crashes in Florida. Recognizing the relatively higher risk of motorcyclists in work-zones with respective to non-work-zones, this study further uncovers the contributing factors for single- and multi-vehicle motorcycle crashes in Florida work-zones. This study investigated motorcyclists' injury severity applying random parameter multinomial logit with possible heterogeneity in means and variances of the random parameters for single-motorcycle and multi-vehicle motorcycle crashes. This study utilizes the Crash Analysis Reporting (CAR) system in Florida over a period of five years from 2012 to 2016 (inclusive). The model result indicates a complex relationship between dark condition, old-aged motorcyclist (50–65), requirement and absence of endorsement, partial ejection, straight roadway segment, shoulder width (up to 1.22 m (4 ft), and 2.74–3.66 m (9–12 ft), urban interstate, activity area, and lane closure and work on shoulder-median work-zone types. The effect of work-zone on single-motorcycle crashes tends to have much more in resulting injury severities relative to multi-vehicle motorcycle crashes. It is more important to investigate the injury severity by single- and multi-vehicle crashes involving motorcycles in work-zones. These risk factors identified in the study are expected to provide more insights for the countermeasures specific to engineering (roadway design) and policy (motorcycle training), which can be considered to improve motorcycle safety in Florida.     

摩托车事故特征分析

基于上海市嘉定区2006-2007年的81起摩托车事故数据,从事故次数、受伤人数、死亡人数、头盔佩戴情况等几个方面进行了统计分析;以事故形态分类,对事故后果进行了相应的伤害分析,从而为摩托车乘员与车辆碰撞机理和摩托车乘员保护措施的进一步研究提供了依据。     

Lateral dynamics of motorcycles towing single-wheeled trailers

A motorcycle towing a single-wheel trailer may provide useful transport for light cargo on narrow tracks and off-road use, particularly in rural areas of developing countries. Four designs of such trailers are described. Linear models are derived for the lateral dynamics of an off-road motorcycle towing this type of trailer straight ahead at constant speed. The trailers were tested behind an instrumented motorcycle. Linear autoregressive models were fitted to the experimental data using system identification techniques. Analytical and experimentally derived models largely agreed on frequency, damping and shape of the weave, wobble and trailer sway normal modes. The trailers made the motorcycle’s steering heavier but the analytical models did not predict this. The location of the articulation axes between the motorcycle and the trailer were found to be critical for stability. The best trailer design handled well with loads up to 200 kg and speeds up to 70 km/h.     

土耳其摩托车市场和准入管理制度（1）

土耳其的摩托车市场在近几年发展比较迅猛,目前,土耳其全国的摩托车保有量达到250万辆,每千人拥有30辆摩托车。土耳其由于在地理上靠近欧洲,因此在车辆产品的管理和技术法规方面受欧洲影响很大,与国际惯例相符合的程度也很高。土耳其负责车辆产品市场准入管理的政府主管和批准机关为土耳其工业与贸易部,该机关负责整车产品和零部件的型式批准。     

Factors affecting severity of motorcycle accidents on Thailand's arterial roads: Multiple correspondence analysis and ordered logistics regression approaches

Thailand was classified as a middle-income country and ranked second highest in terms of road traffic fatality rate in the world in 2015. By 2018, this ranking went up to ninth in world which may be because of various earnest safety policies implementation, supporting road safety research and establishing a road safety directing center. However, crash fatality rate has considerably remained high until recent year, indicating a clear need for further related research. Considering severity of the crashes, the majority of fatal crashes involved the motorcycle road user. Therefore, motorcycle crashes are important issues and should be considered to mitigate fatality due to immoderate proportion of motorcycle road user and motorcyclist fatality. This study aims to identify factors that influence the severity of motorcycle accidents on Thailand's arterial roads by employing ordered logistic regression and multiple correspondence analysis. The results demonstrated that although both analyses were relatively different, they provided similar results. Age, road lanes, and helmet wearing were significant factors that influenced the severity of motorcycle accidents. The results could serve as reference for planning strategies or organizing campaigns to reduce and prevent death owing to road traffic accidents, which may enhance the overall image of road traffic safety in Thailand.     

Lateral dynamics of motorcycles towing single-wheeled trailers

A motorcycle towing a single-wheel trailer may provide useful transport for light cargo on narrow tracks and off-road use, particularly in rural areas of developing countries. Four designs of such trailers are described. Linear models are derived for the lateral dynamics of an off-road motorcycle towing this type of trailer straight ahead at constant speed. The trailers were tested behind an instrumented motorcycle. Linear autoregressive models were fitted to the experimental data using system identification techniques. Analytical and experimentally derived models largely agreed on frequency, damping and shape of the weave, wobble and trailer sway normal modes. The trailers made the motorcycle's steering heavier but the analytical models did not predict this. The location of the articulation axes between the motorcycle and the trailer were found to be critical for stability. The best trailer design handled well with loads up to 200 kg and speeds up to 70 km/h.     

车种分流影响道路交通事故之灰关联分析

台湾地区近年致力于交通安全改善之相关执行计划,企图透过教育、工程与执法之3E手段来降低交通事故数量与严重程度,然而思考如何将机动车分流落实到工程改善手段中亦是思考重点之一,而此分流措施必须奠基于有无采取机动车分流与机动车事故数量则是必须具备高度相关才有落实之可行性.因此,透过灰关联分析探讨台湾地区彰化市5条道路之基础设施与机动车事故的关联程度,其中路肩宽度与障碍物,以及机动车分流长度之灰关联度均为影响机动车事故的重要因素,因此考量是否有采行机动车分流措施则是与交通安全有绝对关系,未来则可依据事故类型加以评估是否落实机动车分流措施.      

Traffic risk behavior and perceptions of Thai motorcyclists: A case study

This study aimed to investigate Thai motorcyclists' traffic risk behavior and their perceptions of it, information of value in the design and implementation of public health policies and campaigns for the reduction of road injuries. Data was collected by a self-administered questionnaire completed by 399 motorcyclists in Muang Krabi district, Krabi province, Thailand. The questionnaire focused on the respondents' perceptions of general traffic risks and the specific risks at 3 identified hazardous sites. The results of the survey indicated that the correct fastening of helmet straps had a relationship with responsible traffic risk perceptions.     

欧盟摩托车防止非法改装指令的分析与研究(1)

通过对欧盟各国摩托车管理、驾驶执照和车辆税收制度以及非法改装技术的可行性、目的等方面进行综合分析和研究,全面掌握欧盟制定的防止非法改装指令的背景、缘由、目的、方法和要求,并结合目前可能存在的一些改装示例来分析摩托车行业的技术进步,提出了防止非法改装的其他控制措施及对适用车辆类型的扩展意见,以期对我国今后制订类似的标准能有借鉴意义。     

摩托车安装昼间行驶灯可行性研究

制定摩托车昼间行驶灯标准是一件利国利民的大事,也是提高摩托车行驶安全性的一个重要方面,各相关部门不应该忽视这个问题。通过多方面分析,由于人眼对琥珀色比白色更敏感,所以从实际效果看,用转向灯作为摩托车的昼间行驶灯是比较合适的。     

Study on the effects of motorcycle anti-lock-braking-system for skilled and less-skilled riders: regarding braking in a turn

The effectiveness of ABS for the motorcycle has been evaluated by comparison with deal braking. However, it is almost impossible for the typical rider to perform ideal braking in an emergency. We conducted braking in a turn test by skilled and less-skilled riders, for the purpose of evaluating the effectiveness of ABS for the typical rider and obtaining data for a method of evaluating motorcycle ABS performance. It was shown that ABS for the motorcycle is effective for both skilled and less-skilled riders in terms of braking distance and vehicle stability.     

A review of behavioural issues contribution to motorcycle safety

Motorcycles are considered as one of the extreme modes of conveyance contributing to road accidents. Reports revealed that the number of deaths caused by motorcycles is significantly higher than by any other means of transportation. A large percentage of motorcycle accidents occurred mainly due to human behaviour. The objectives of this paper are to unveil and analyse certain behavioural patterns of riders influencing the motorcycle mishaps through literature reviews on various aspects of riding behaviours including the lack of visibility and alertness, and speeding issues. This is important for a comprehensive and broad understanding of the riders' behavioural and performance traits associated with speeding, visibility, and alertness issues. Thus, collisions due to these issues may be avoided. This study summarizes 104 selected articles published in Springer, Elsevier, Tylor & Francis, IEEE, US Patent, WHO and others, distributed over the year of 1981 to 2019, which were further separated into four classes; 22 articles (21%) on the speeding issues, 25 articles (24%) on the visibility issues, 24 articles (23%) related to alertness issues, and 33 articles (32%) comprising of other studies related to motorcycles. All these research papers highlighted the ways to reduce the risks from speeding and to improve the visibility and alertness of motorcycle riders. As a conclusion, the study found that by applying the Intelligent Transport System (ITS) in motorcycles, road accidents may be reduced. It is also well noticed that the headlight of motorcycle and the use of fluorescent jacket increase the conspicuity of a motorcyclist. Moreover, the Daytime Running Light (DRL) of a motorcycle may also reduce accidents. It is also noted that the use of sensors on steering wheel increases the alertness of drivers. Finally, a framework to gain an improved understanding on the motorcycle riders' behaviour related issues and the ways to handling them were recommended. On top of that, this study had also suggested a new technological utilisation to improve the management of speeding, visibility and alertness issues. Provided that these concerns are addressed, a drop in the number of accident occurrences is possible.