Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Motorcyclist Safety'

The continuing use of self-report methods demands consideration of the validity, reliability, and utility of self-report in road safety research. This thesis assesses self-report issues with respect to four key constructs in motorcycle safety research—exposure, on-road behaviours, riding motivations, and perceived value in a sample of Australian novice motorcycle riders. In Study 1 a comprehensive set of statistical analyses was performed to test the validity and reliability of various self-report measures of riding exposure. In Study 2 and Study 3 previously untested psychometric properties of stability, content validity, and predictive validity of the Motorcycle Rider Behaviour Questionnaire and the Motorcycle Rider Motivation Questionnaire in terms of police-recorded offences and crashes as well as previously assessed factor structure, internal consistency, and predictive validity in terms of self-reported crashes were examined. In Study 4 I demonstrated the utility of a contingent valuation (CV) survey in measuring, understanding, and therefore addressing the perceived value of rider training amongst novice riders. The four studies highlight that the appropriateness of self-report depends on not only the nature of the phenomenon under study but the extent to which the factors that contribute to validity and reliability are accounted for in the design of self-report measures.

Esta dissertação de mestrado se refere ao estudo investigativo dos fatores de risco e a influência destes na ocorrência de acidentes envolvendo motocicletas, segundo a percepção dos condutores profissionais. A área de estudo foi a cidade de Porto Alegre, cujo cenário buscou-se mapear através do levantamento do perfil da categoria profissional de motociclistas e da análise dos anuários estáticos de acidentes envolvendo motocicletas, ocorridos entre os anos de 2000 e 2008. A pesquisa foi estabelecida em duas etapas. A primeira refere-se à pesquisa qualitativa, realizada através de aplicação da técnica de Grupo Focado, para determinação dos fatores de risco. Ao passo que, na segunda fase, foram realizados 123 questionários com condutores profissionais de motocicleta, para levantamento do perfil e percepção destes quanto à influência de cada fator no risco de acidentes. O estudo mostrou que para alguns dos fatores identificados como, pressão por pontualidade da entrega e longa jornada de trabalho, os entrevistados foram tendenciosos ao afirmar que estes possuíam pouca ou nenhuma influência no risco de acidentes, resultado contrário ao apontado por outros estudos encontrados na literatura. Para os demais fatores, os condutores profissionais demonstraram conhecer bem o ambiente viário urbano, de forma a terem boa percepção sobre os riscos de sua atividade. A pesquisa identificou a desatenção por parte dos motoristas de outros veículos, a presença de chuva e a má qualidade da infra-estrutura viária como os fatores de maior influência no risco de acidente. Sendo as situações de trânsito de maior perigo as de tráfego em interseções e nas vias congestionadas. A análise das bases estatísticas identificou a necessidade de coletar informações sobre os motociclistas acidentados, de forma a explicitar o objetivo de viagem quando da ocorrência do sinistro, permitindo assim, identificar o percentual de condutores profissionais entre os motociclistas acidentados.
This master's dissertation refers to the study of risk factors, and its influence, on the occurrence of accidents involving motorcycles, according to the professional drivers’ perception. The study area was the city of Porto Alegre, whose scenery was mapped by surveying the profile of the professional category of motorcyclists, and by analysis of statistical directories of accidents involving motorcycles, occurred between the years 2000 and 2008. The research was established in two stages. The first one refers to the qualitative research, conducted by applying the technique of Focus Group for determining the risk factors. While in the second phase, 123 questionnaires were conducted with professional motorcyclists, to identify their profile and perception of how each factor influences the risk of accidents. The study has shown that for some of the risk factors indentified, such as pressure for punctuality and long hours of work, the respondents were biased in saying that they had little or no influence on the risk of accidents, contrary to the result reported by other studies found in the literature. For the other factors, professional drivers have demonstrated to know the urban road atmosphere well, in order to have good perception on the risks of their activity. The research has identified inattention by drivers of other vehicles, presence of rain and poor quality of road infrastructure as the factors of greatest influence on the risk of accidents. Traveling in crossing intersections and congested roads has been found as the most dangerous traffic situations. The statistical databases analysis has identified the need to collect information about the motorcycle accident victims in order to clarify the purpose of travel at the time of the accident, thus allowing, identifying the percentage of professional drivers among motorcyclists injured.

What if the emergency response directly knew exactly where to go and what to do if a road accident occured? During the last ten years the number of motorcyclists in Sweden has doubled. Every year, more than 300 riders are seriously injured and over 40 die in road accidents. Being found in time is critical to increase the chance of survival. The goal of this project is to use design methods to find a solution that enables a fast and adequate emergency response for motorcyclists and other unprotected road users.
Vad hade hänt om akutsjukvårdare direkt kände till var en olycka inträffat och vilken vårdinsats som behövdes? Under de senaste tio åren har antalet motorcyklister i Sverige fördubblats. Varje år skadas över 300 förare allvarligt, och över 40 omkommer i trafikolyckor. Att bli hittad i tid är kritiskt för att öka chansen för överlevnad. Målet med det här projektet är att med designmetoder hitta ett sätt att möjliggöra en snabb och adekvat räddningsinsats för motorcyklister och andra oskyddade motortrafikanter.

L’accidentalité des conducteurs de 2RM est au cœur des préoccupations de sécurité routière. Ce travail de thèse vise à apporter des connaissances sur les différences de sexe et de conformité aux stéréotypes de sexe au sein de cette communauté très masculine. Il a été montré que les femmes motocyclistes avaient des taux d’accidents corporels ou mortels bien inférieurs à ceux des hommes. Les résultats montrent que les comportements à risque accidentels des hommes et des femmes motocyclistes sont proches, hormis pour les comportements les plus risqués. Il a aussi été montré que le type de motocyclette avait un effet plus important que le sexe sur les comportements à risques accidentels. De plus, il a été montré que les motocyclistes se conforment aux stéréotypes de sexe qui leurs sont associés et que la masculinité renforce la prise de risque et la transgression des règles, cette relation étant expliquée par les motivations à conduire un 2RM. Enfin, ce travail a montré que les stéréotypes de sexe associés à la conduite d’une motocyclette existent déjà chez les adolescents dès 11 ans. Ce travail de thèse montre donc des différences significatives entre hommes et femmes conducteurs de 2RM, autant au niveau de leur accidentalité que de leurs prises de risque. De plus, des stéréotypes de sexe existent bien pour cette population spécifique d’usagers de la route. Ces travaux permettent d’avoir une connaissance plus fine des comportements des conducteurs de 2RM, et d’enrichir la réflexion sur des actions possibles en matière d’éducation routière, en ciblant les sous-populations les plus à risque chez les conducteurs de 2RM
The powered two-wheelers (PTW) riders’ accidentality is at the heart of road safety issues. This PhD thesis is part of a comprehensive approach to generate knowledge on sex differences and sex stereotypes conformity within this very masculine stereotyped community. It first showed that female motorcyclists have much lower injury crashes and fatalities rates than males. A first study showed that males declared more intentional risky behaviors and female more non-intentional risky behaviors. A second study showed that the PTW type chosen had a more important effect on the aberrant behaviors than sex. A third study showed that individuals who conformed to masculine stereotypes declared more violations than those who conformed to feminine stereotypes (declared more lapses), whatever their sex. Motivations to ride a PTW explaining this relation. Finally, this work showed that sex stereotypes associated with motorcycle riding already existed on the adolescent population, from the age of 11, even if they are themselves moped riders or if at least one of their parents is a rider. As a conclusion, significant differences between male and female PTW riders were revealed, in terms of accidentology and risk taking. These differences are linked to the riders’ conformity to their sex group and to the effects of this conformity on their motivations to ride a PTW. Moreover, it also showed that sex stereotypes exist for this specific road users’ population. This work led to a more detailed understanding of PTW riders’ aberrant behaviors, and to enrich the thinking for actions with regard to road safety education and prevention

In the past few decades, the number of motorcycles has grown rapidly in developing countries; therefore, motorcycle safety has increasingly become a critical issue, particularly for nations in which motorcycle-related casualties comprise a major proportion of all traffic injuries and deaths. However, few systematic studies have been conducted on enhancing the understanding of the vulnerability of motorcyclists in developing countries. While motorcycle safety has advanced greatly in developed countries, a direct transfer of the experience to motorcycle safety in developing countries may not be appropriate. The objectives of this thesis are to investigate the safety of motorcyclists from four aspects: people, motorcycles, the physical environment, and social environment, and subsequently develop a deeper understanding of motorcycle safety in developing countries. Methodologically, both questionnaire and observational surveys were employed, mainly from June to October 2012, to evaluate the attitudes of motorcyclists towards road safety and their behaviors on roads, respectively. Data from these two surveys are analyzed through different statistical methods (e.g. chi-square test, Binary Logistic Regression, and the Empirical Bayes approach) to provide a more comprehensive view of the various issues related to motorcycle safety. In addition, Maoming, a major city in Western Guangdong Province of Southern China, was chosen as a case study in this thesis, mainly because it shares many motorcycle-related characteristics with other cities in developing countries. This thesis presents four in-depth studies within a coherent framework to explore motorcycle safety in developing countries. The first study is a detailed investigation of motorcycle taxi drivers who transport passengers by motorcycles as an occupation. The results of this study reveal that compared to non-occupational motorcyclists, motorcycle taxi drivers are more likely to undertake unsafe behaviors (e.g., running a red-light or speeding) when in a hurry, driving late at night or early in the morning, although they hold more positive attitudes towards road safety. The second study focuses on another common behavior: not displaying motorcycle license plates. The results suggest that this behavior is significantly associated with not possessing a driving or vehicle license for the motorcycle, thus placing motorcyclists and other road users at risks. The third study elucidates the effects of helmet law enforcement on helmet use. The results indicate that helmet law enforcement exerts a positive but short-lived effect on helmet use, and also suggest that the Naïve Before-and-After approach should not be dismissed, and can be used as a preliminary method in similar research. The last study investigates the effects of vehicular countdown devices (VCDs) as a traffic facility on motorcycle safety. The results show that they exert negative effects on motorcycle safety and may increase the risk of rear-end collisions at intersections. By adopting a coherent theoretical framework, this study is expected to enrich the knowledge of how people, vehicles, the physical environment, social environment and their interactions affect motorcycle safety and to provide suggestions to improve motorcycle safety in developing countries.
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Geography
Doctoral
Doctor of Philosophy

There is little research on off-road motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle riders though injury levels are high. This thesis identified formal responsibility for monitoring injuries, targeting young male and recreational riders, promotion of family members as models, and controlled and accessible riding locations as ways to increase safety. These recommendations were based on analysis of Queensland hospitalisation records, rider personal reports and survey responses.

Para-transit modes generally offer important transport service in developing countries but are poorly regulated. Commercial motorcycle transport is one such essential service provided in many places across the world. It however has some problems of which poor safety record is chief. This research addresses the safety problem of commercial motorcycles from qualitative and systems perspectives. The aim is to identify and improve the understanding on how risk-taking-behaviour – a major cause of safety problems - is developed and learnt by the drivers. Risk-taking-behaviour is used to describe behaviours that can compromise safety which drivers often manifest as a result of the transport system’s characteristics. The aim is accomplished using two approaches: qualitative methods and system dynamics approach, based on qualitative and quantitative data collection. The research considers the choice of a typical medium city in Nigeria, Ado Ekiti, where commercial motorcycles are a major intra-city transport mode. Qualitative data was collected from stakeholders in the operation of commercial motorcycles and was used together with findings from the literature to obtain the description of the operation of this transport mode and to extract a list of influencing factors from which safety problems result. Key factors are found to relate to drivers’ characteristics, violation practices, enforcement and regulation, and training. While these factors are broad, the research is limited to how they contribute to drivers’ risk-taking behaviour. Further analysis of these factors’ interaction produces a set of propositions that describe the problem-causing structure within the system. These propositions deal with issues such as deterrence effect of enforcement operation, corruption in enforcement process, expensive motorcycle-acquisition problem, and drivers’ strenuous working condition, amidst others. These propositions make up the dynamic hypothesis for the system and are represented by a causal loop diagram. The dynamic hypothesis is then explored by formalising it into a quantitative model. This formalised model supports the dynamic hypothesis. The results of this research show that both the stock and flow model and the causal loop diagram might offer an opportunity for policy makers and stakeholders to better understand the structure and the dynamics of the commercial motorcycle drivers’ risk-taking-behaviour. Particularly, it shows that a mix of measures including improved enforcement of law is one main way by which driver behaviour can be improved.

Abstract The main theme of this thesis is to discuss the specific conditions of motorcycles participation in traffic. Primarily the author of the processing of statistical data relating to road traffic accidents found the most frequent causes leading to the accident of motorcycles, set out a list of typical hazardous situations and provide an opportunity to prevent them, respectively propose the concrete steps for their reduction, while visual processing is done using by the Virtual CRASH software. Secondarily, it is then processed an overview by modern elements of active and passive safety of motorcycles and their effect on the reduction of traffic accidents, or reduce health risks as the consequences of road traffic accidents. Statistical data are then confronted with the subjective perception of participation in traffic, concretely with motorcycle riders. Their opinions are interpreted by the most frequent responses from the questionnaires, the results are included in the last part of this thesis. The objective of this work is in the comparison of both perspectives - statistical data and the opinions of motorcyclists - about the traffic situation in the Czech Republic. The result of this work is the more realistic view on the issue.

Motorcycle riding is rapidly increasing in popularity in Australia, attracting a much wider demographic of people than in decades past. Unfortunately, whilst the overall road toll in Australia has generally been reducing, the proportion of motorcycle-related fatalities has been rising in recent years. Further, the proportion of motorcycle-related fatalities in Australia is unacceptably high compared to other OECD countries. To reduce motorcycle-related fatalities on Australian roads, there is an urgent need to consider motorcyclists as distinct from other road users. This program of research facilitates the understanding of safety issues from a motorcyclist perspective and provides important information on factors influencing safe and unsafe rider intentions and behaviour.----- Study 1 explored what motorcyclists thought about the issues relevant to safety and to risk-taking behaviour on a motorcycle. The aim of this study was to develop a better understanding of the factors which influence on-road riding behaviour. Using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), identity theory, social identity theory, and items based on moral norm and causal attribution theory, a set of questions was developed to guide focus group discussions with riders, police, rider trainers, and an advocacy group for motorcycle safety. Of the 43 participants in this study, only two were not motorcycle riders. This exploratory process revealed six common behaviours that most motorcyclists agreed were essential to safety or which related directly to riskier riding.----- Two behaviours were identified as being essential to rider safety by participants. The first was the necessity of being able to handle the motorcycle proficiently and skilfully. The second related to the need for riders to maintain a high level of concentration whilst riding and to stay aware of the changing road environment.----- The safety or riskiness of two other behaviours mentioned became a matter of debate amongst participants. First, some riders said that obeying the road rules was essential to their safety, whilst others reported that it was often necessary to break the road rules in order to stay safe. Second, the definition of what constituted 'riding whilst impaired' differed amongst riders. Most riders agreed that 'drinking and riding' was dangerous. However, for some, even one alcoholic drink before riding was considered dangerous, whilst others would ride after drinking provided they did not consider themselves to be over the legal BAC limit. Some riders stated that riding when they were tired was dangerous; however, fatigue was not considered a serious safety issue for many participants.----- Two further behaviours identified by participants were often associated with their accounts of crash involvement, yet not seen as intrinsically 'unsafe' by most riders. The first of these was the concept of 'pushing your limits'. Most riders interviewed appeared to enjoy pushing the limits of their ability on a motorcycle. Whilst agreeing that pushing the limits too far was dangerous, pushing them to a point that tested a rider's abilities was often reported to facilitate safety as this process developed a rider's skill. The second behaviour that was often mentioned in connection with crashes was extreme riding (e.g., performing stunts and riding at extreme speeds). The act of perfecting a stunt was often reported to result in the crashing of the motorcycle; although, these crashes were usually accepted as a normal part of the learning process. Once perfected, performing stunts did not appear to be considered an intrinsically unsafe behaviour; unless performed in traffic or other unpredictable situations. A sizable minority of both male and female participants reported riding at extreme speeds. These riders often argued that they could ride extremely fast, safely, on public roads provided certain conditions were met (e.g., good visibility, weather, road, and motorcycle maintenance).----- Study 2 [n = 229] operationalised the six behaviours discussed above into three 'safer' behavioural intentions (i.e., handle the motorcycle skilfully, maintain 100% awareness, not ride impaired) and three 'riskier' intentions (i.e., bend road rules, push the limits, perform stunts or ride at extreme speeds). A seventh item was added to provide a global measure of a rider's intention to ride safely. Multiple regression analyses were then performed to test the predictive utility of the TPB compared with several augmented models. The additional constructs used to augment the TPB included a specific subjective norm and group norm which related to the people a person rides with, self identity, sensation seeking, aggression as well as age, gender and riding exposure. The multiple regression analysis demonstrated that a greater proportion of variance could be explained in the case of the riskier riding intentions [R2 ranging from 57% - 66%] than the safer riding intentions [R2 ranging from 22% - 36%]. Therefore, this type of theoretical model may be better suited to investigating deliberate risk-taking intentions rather than an overall model of rider behaviour which includes errors and lapses or intentions to ride safely.----- In the final analyses, perceived behavioural control (PBC) proved to be a significant predictor of all four intentions towards the safer behaviours, and also towards intentions to "push my limits". Attitude was a significant predictor of the three riskier intentions. Although the standard subjective norm variable performed weakly, as it was only predictive of one intention, the specific subjective norm (i.e., the people that someone rides with) emerged as a significant predictor of four of the seven intention items and group norm was predictive of an additional intention item. This result indicates that the other people a person rides with may have a marked effect on behavioural intentions. Sensation seeking was found to be significantly related to four intentions, self identification as a safe or risky rider related to two intentions and a propensity for aggression was only significantly predictive of one intention.----- Study 2 did not find a significant relationship between the seven intentions and past crash history. However, correlational analyses found that people who had reported being involved in a serious crash in the past two years reported less PBC over their ability to ride as safely as possible and to perform stunts and/or ride at extreme speeds.----- In conclusion, this program of research provided insight into the issues riders feel are important to their safety, and has facilitated a greater understanding of the complexity of influences that impact on riding intentions and behaviour. The study also provided support for extending the traditional TPB model to include other measures of social influence, as well as person-related factors such as sensation seeking. The fact that PBC emerged as a predictor of five of the seven intentions suggests that there may be scope to enhance existing training practices to better address both safe and risky riding intentions. The influence of other riders also emerged as a strong influence on intentions, suggesting that strategies to address rider behaviour within the wider social context of riding may be a useful addition to future motorcycle safety or rider training initiatives. The social dynamics of motorcycle riding, within the context of road safety, is an area that clearly requires more investigation. Research into this area may provide the key to developing new approaches to promoting motorcycle safety which effectively integrate both the psychological and sociological aspects of riding; therefore, better reflecting the real challenges facing many riders on Australian roads today.

Motorcycle riding is rapidly increasing in popularity in Australia, attracting a much wider demographic of people than in decades past. Unfortunately, whilst the overall road toll in Australia has generally been reducing, the proportion of motorcycle-related fatalities has been rising in recent years. Further, the proportion of motorcycle-related fatalities in Australia is unacceptably high compared to other OECD countries. To reduce motorcycle-related fatalities on Australian roads, there is an urgent need to consider motorcyclists as distinct from other road users. This program of research facilitates the understanding of safety issues from a motorcyclist perspective and provides important information on factors influencing safe and unsafe rider intentions and behaviour.----- Study 1 explored what motorcyclists thought about the issues relevant to safety and to risk-taking behaviour on a motorcycle. The aim of this study was to develop a better understanding of the factors which influence on-road riding behaviour. Using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), identity theory, social identity theory, and items based on moral norm and causal attribution theory, a set of questions was developed to guide focus group discussions with riders, police, rider trainers, and an advocacy group for motorcycle safety. Of the 43 participants in this study, only two were not motorcycle riders. This exploratory process revealed six common behaviours that most motorcyclists agreed were essential to safety or which related directly to riskier riding.----- Two behaviours were identified as being essential to rider safety by participants. The first was the necessity of being able to handle the motorcycle proficiently and skilfully. The second related to the need for riders to maintain a high level of concentration whilst riding and to stay aware of the changing road environment.----- The safety or riskiness of two other behaviours mentioned became a matter of debate amongst participants. First, some riders said that obeying the road rules was essential to their safety, whilst others reported that it was often necessary to break the road rules in order to stay safe. Second, the definition of what constituted 'riding whilst impaired' differed amongst riders. Most riders agreed that 'drinking and riding' was dangerous. However, for some, even one alcoholic drink before riding was considered dangerous, whilst others would ride after drinking provided they did not consider themselves to be over the legal BAC limit. Some riders stated that riding when they were tired was dangerous; however, fatigue was not considered a serious safety issue for many participants.----- Two further behaviours identified by participants were often associated with their accounts of crash involvement, yet not seen as intrinsically 'unsafe' by most riders. The first of these was the concept of 'pushing your limits'. Most riders interviewed appeared to enjoy pushing the limits of their ability on a motorcycle. Whilst agreeing that pushing the limits too far was dangerous, pushing them to a point that tested a rider's abilities was often reported to facilitate safety as this process developed a rider's skill. The second behaviour that was often mentioned in connection with crashes was extreme riding (e.g., performing stunts and riding at extreme speeds). The act of perfecting a stunt was often reported to result in the crashing of the motorcycle; although, these crashes were usually accepted as a normal part of the learning process. Once perfected, performing stunts did not appear to be considered an intrinsically unsafe behaviour; unless performed in traffic or other unpredictable situations. A sizable minority of both male and female participants reported riding at extreme speeds. These riders often argued that they could ride extremely fast, safely, on public roads provided certain conditions were met (e.g., good visibility, weather, road, and motorcycle maintenance).----- Study 2 [n = 229] operationalised the six behaviours discussed above into three 'safer' behavioural intentions (i.e., handle the motorcycle skilfully, maintain 100% awareness, not ride impaired) and three 'riskier' intentions (i.e., bend road rules, push the limits, perform stunts or ride at extreme speeds). A seventh item was added to provide a global measure of a rider's intention to ride safely. Multiple regression analyses were then performed to test the predictive utility of the TPB compared with several augmented models. The additional constructs used to augment the TPB included a specific subjective norm and group norm which related to the people a person rides with, self identity, sensation seeking, aggression as well as age, gender and riding exposure. The multiple regression analysis demonstrated that a greater proportion of variance could be explained in the case of the riskier riding intentions [R2 ranging from 57% - 66%] than the safer riding intentions [R2 ranging from 22% - 36%]. Therefore, this type of theoretical model may be better suited to investigating deliberate risk-taking intentions rather than an overall model of rider behaviour which includes errors and lapses or intentions to ride safely.----- In the final analyses, perceived behavioural control (PBC) proved to be a significant predictor of all four intentions towards the safer behaviours, and also towards intentions to "push my limits". Attitude was a significant predictor of the three riskier intentions. Although the standard subjective norm variable performed weakly, as it was only predictive of one intention, the specific subjective norm (i.e., the people that someone rides with) emerged as a significant predictor of four of the seven intention items and group norm was predictive of an additional intention item. This result indicates that the other people a person rides with may have a marked effect on behavioural intentions. Sensation seeking was found to be significantly related to four intentions, self identification as a safe or risky rider related to two intentions and a propensity for aggression was only significantly predictive of one intention.----- Study 2 did not find a significant relationship between the seven intentions and past crash history. However, correlational analyses found that people who had reported being involved in a serious crash in the past two years reported less PBC over their ability to ride as safely as possible and to perform stunts and/or ride at extreme speeds.----- In conclusion, this program of research provided insight into the issues riders feel are important to their safety, and has facilitated a greater understanding of the complexity of influences that impact on riding intentions and behaviour. The study also provided support for extending the traditional TPB model to include other measures of social influence, as well as person-related factors such as sensation seeking. The fact that PBC emerged as a predictor of five of the seven intentions suggests that there may be scope to enhance existing training practices to better address both safe and risky riding intentions. The influence of other riders also emerged as a strong influence on intentions, suggesting that strategies to address rider behaviour within the wider social context of riding may be a useful addition to future motorcycle safety or rider training initiatives. The social dynamics of motorcycle riding, within the context of road safety, is an area that clearly requires more investigation. Research into this area may provide the key to developing new approaches to promoting motorcycle safety which effectively integrate both the psychological and sociological aspects of riding; therefore, better reflecting the real challenges facing many riders on Australian roads today.

This thesis is a compendium of research from roadside, drinking bars, hospitals and police accident records in Ghana. The thesis investigated the natural prevalence of alcohol use among road users at these settings and the potential crash risk associated with this behavior. The research established that the prevalence of driving or operating a vehicle with elevated BAC above the legal limit was high. This was however underreported by the police. This research underscores the need for enhanced enforcement of the drink-driving law, and education of road users on responsible alcohol consumption among road users to improve upon road safety in Ghana.

Dans le cadre d'une politique publique presque universelle, la sécurité routière, cette thèse se consacre à une catégorie précise de conducteurs, les motocyclistes. Ceux-ci forment à la fois un groupe distinct d'usagers de la route, objet à ce titre de réglementations spécifiques, et, du moins quand ils sont et se considèrent comme motards, un groupe social. Dans les années 1970, au moment de son institutionnalisation, la politique de sécurité routière rencontre avec ces motards un problème inédit. La moto, disparue durant les années 1960, revient en effet massivement dans les rues avec de nouveaux, et jeunes, utilisateurs. Il lui faut alors inventer une façon de gérer le risque inédit qu'ils représentent, ce qu'elle fera en choisissant, parmi plusieurs options, une politique répressive dont on montrera comment elle a évolué jusqu'à nos jours, en la justifiant à l'aide de considérations morales et d'un appareillage statistique dont on montrera ce qu'il a d'inapproprié, de lacunaire et, parfois, de fictif.S'attaquant à un groupe social décidé à se défendre, cette politique va susciter une opposition organisée qui, au gré des alternances politiques, parviendra à en infléchir plus ou moins le cours, et formera toujours un adversaire avec lequel elle devra composer. Pour traiter un sujet de cet ordre il semble donc pertinent de s'appuyer sur la sociologie interactionniste, d'analyser de façon diachronique cette politique à partir de 1972, de l'étudier à divers échelons, de procéder enfin à des comparaisons diverses, entre États, entre capitales, mais aussi avec une politique publique qui traite de façon fort différente les utilisateurs d'un autre deux-roues, la bicyclette
This thesis is devoted to an aspect of road safety policy, an almost universal public policy, and to a particular category of drivers, namely motorcyclists. They represent both a distinct road users' group, subject as such to specific regulations, and, at least when there are and do consider themselves as motorcycle riders, a social group. When the French road safety policy was designed, in the early 70's, motorcyclists turned out to be an unexpected problem. After vanishing during the 60's, the motorcycle was back in large numbers with new and young users. The state therefore invented a way of dealing with the unprecedented risk they represented. Among several options, it chose a repressive policy whose evolution we will trace from the 1970s to today. This policy was grounded on moral justifications and strengthened by an inadequate, incomplete and sometimes fictitious statistical body.This policy endangered a social group ready to defend itself, thus creating an organized opposition able to reorientate it partially. To this day, motorcycles remain an opponent the state has to cope with. To deal with this subject, it seems relevant to use the findings of interactionist sociology and to analyse this policy from a diachronic point of view, starting in 1972. We will study this subject at different scales and proceed to various comparisons between countries or capitals. Furthermore, we'll see how it compares to public policy that deals, in a very different manner, with users of another two-wheel vehicle, the bicycle

The peculiarities of motorcycles bring significant risks for riders’ health in case of accident. In fact they have not got any safety cage as cars have and, when an accident occurs, the rider is more likely to suffer severe injuries than a car occupant. In addition, motorcycles do not feature any system capable of restraining the rider during an accident. A motorcyclist is therefore likely to face direct impacts against roadside objects. In such a situation, two possibilities exist to reduce the motorcyclist’s harm: reduce the dangerousness of the roadside obstacles or provide the rider’s garments with the capability of mitigating the consequences of the impact. This research activity concerns both of these possible approaches, studying biker protection systems mounted on the roadside barriers and wearable airbag devices. As a preliminary activity, the behaviour of Anthropomorphic Test Devices and the likelihood of their numeric models are investigated in off-design conditions, similar to those conditions that are typical of some motorcycling accidents. Thereafter, numeric models of three different additional barriers to be mounted on road restraint systems have been created and validated against experimental data. These models were used for sensitivity studies on characteristic impact parameters and for a critical review of the evaluation Standard for such devices. Finally, two scenarios were conceived to numerically evaluate the performance of an airbag device and to improve its design. Information provided by numeric simulations was confronted with experimental data. Both, safety devices mounted on roadside restraint systems and wearable airbags resulted capable of reducing the harm suffered by a motorcyclist that falls from his vehicle, slides on the ground and hits a standing object. An airbag device provides a more general protection; the air cushion around the neck reduces its movements, also contributing to reduce the head acceleration. The more specific road barriers instead also prevent the motorcyclist from trespassing the barrier itself, being exposed to further dangerous situations.

The main aim of the PhD activity here presented is to understand PTW’s riders behaviour in risky scenarios, when the time to collision is short and evasive manoeuvers are required. This research focus on the identification of the key components of control skills, together with perception skills, required for a high performance and also for effective training interventions that can reduce the number of PTW collisions or mitigate their consequences. Preliminary results from this research based on in-depth accident data revealed collision at intersections as one of the biggest threats to motorcyclists and weak braking during emergency events as one of the most common reactions. Furthermore, the first part of the research showed that different patterns can be identified among riders after analyzing two naturalistic studies from riders on Powered Two Wheelers scooter-style in Florence and cyclists on e-bike in Gothenburg. The thesis presents a procedure designed to study the performance of riders in emergency situations based on: interaction with a constantly changing environment, dynamics of a two-wheeled vehicle, and capability of the rider. Results from field experiments in a controlled scenario with riders of different level of competencies revealed that the procedure defined can detect patterns from high skilled riders different from low skilled riders. In addition, the results provided key values that can be used to level skill classification. The characterization of the patterns of the riders of different skills is presented including two models, one that predicts the braking performance and another model that estimates the risk of loss control of the rider, both based on the rider’s interaction with the vehicle. Finally a tool interface based on the performance models is designed to support training tasks prescribing objective feedback to the riders to enhance training for safety. The thesis presents some directions for future research in skills acquisition, naturalistic studies and applications for training that stem from the results. Furthermore, the outcomes of this research can support providing insights for future designs of safety systems, such as advanced braking systems tailored to the patterns of each rider.

It is inevitable that the members of our contemporary society must move and interact with road infrastructures and vehicles and this exposes them to the high risk of injuries and fatalities. Road safety recognizes this risk and the safety need for all road users involved in road traffic. Globally, motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians are the road users most vulnerable and in high-income countries these types of accidents happened principally in urban areas. The aim of road safety is the elimination of fatal crashes and the reduction of serious injuries through the provision of a safe transport system that takes into account the possibility of human error and the vulnerability of people to serious injury. The approach most commonly employed for this purpose is the study of real-world road accidents, and more in particular, the in-depth investigation of the accidents. Through these investigations it is possible to discover the response of the vehicles and infrastructure to the crash as well as human behaviour and the injury mechanisms. This typology research is strongly recommended by the state-of-the-art of the road accident. The European Union recommends the development of new independent bodies as well as the use of comparable data sets. This is the leading motivation that defines the framework of the present research and the fact that there is a lack of in-depth data on road accidents coming from southern Europe compared to that of northern Europe. Accordingly, the in-depth investigation methodology is defined and the in-depth road accident database is described. Overall, a collection of 80 road accidents which principally occurred in urban areas have been studied. The main injury mechanisms and injury causes by road user types are described. An accident causation factor analysis on pedestrian and powered two-wheel users has been carried out. Finally, the evaluation of the effectiveness of the pedestrian protection system has been performed based on real-world data and a pilot demonstration project has been completed.

Das Risiko, im Straßenverkehr getötet zu werden, ist für Motorrad-Aufsassen vielfach höher als für andere Verkehrsteilnehmer. Dabei spielt das Verhalten der Motorradfahrer eine zent-rale Rolle. In Abhängigkeit von ihrer Fahrkompetenz können Fahrer durch entsprechendes Agieren und Reagieren kritische Situationen und Unfälle vermeiden. Zur Analyse des Fahrerverhaltens in Situationen individuell unterschiedlicher Kritikalität wurden Versuchs-fahrten mit Motorradfahrern unterschiedlicher Fahrerfahrung auf einem abgesperrten Test-gelände und im öffentlichen Straßenverkehr durchgeführt. Dazu wurde ein Versuchsmotor-rad mit Messtechnik ausgestattet, um detaillierte Informationen zum Fahrer, zum Fahrzeug und zur Umgebung zu erfassen. Die Probanden wiesen große Unterschiede im Fahrerverhal-ten auf, was in den meisten Fällen auf die unterschiedlichen Fahrerfahrungen der Teilneh-mer zurückzuführen ist. Durch detaillierte Analysen des Fahrerverhaltens konnten fahrer-spezifische Defizite festgestellt und entsprechende Verbesserungsmöglichkeiten aufgezeigt werden. Auf Basis dieser Erkenntnisse wurden Konzepte zur Unterstützung des Fahrers bei der Erweiterung seiner Fahrkompetenz beim Motorradfahren aufgestellt. Die Konzepte se-hen eine aus Standardmanövern und Realverkehrsfahrten kombinierte Schulung bzw. ein kombiniertes Training vor. Im Rahmen dessen werden dem Fahrer vor, während oder nach der Fahrt direkt oder indirekt (über eine Begleitperson) relevante Informationen im Hinblick auf entsprechende Verbesserungsmöglichkeiten zur Verfügung gestellt. Darüber hinaus wur-de ein kompakter Datenrekorder prototypisch entwickelt, womit die Grundlage für den prak-tischen Einsatz geschaffen wurde.

碩士
國立臺灣師範大學
資訊工程學系
101
The main objective of this thesis is to develop a driver safety assistance system for motorcycles. In Taiwan, the number of casualties of motorcycle accidents did not decrease recently. According to car accident statistics, distracting driving and tailgating caused about 30 percent of motorcycle accidents. The proposed driver safety assistance system for motorcycles is used to detect the safety distance between the owner’s vehicle and obstacle ahead, and gives the driver a warning signal if necessary. In this study, a smartphone is used as a research tool, while modern smartphones are sophisticated computing platforms with complex sensors. The phone camera can capture and record videos; the orientation sensor is used to obtain the pitch and roll angles, and GPS can help to get the precise coordinates of the motorcycles. The study can be divided into two parts. Firstly, the transformation matrices of different camera angles are calculated and stored in a transformation matrix database. The transformation matrix database is constructed automatically. All the information the system needs includes input images, pitch angles, and roll angles. The system obtains the transformation matrix by solving the simultaneous equations about the corner information detected from the input image. Secondly, a kernel system is developed, including the following stages: turn each image into a top view, detect the distance between the owner’s vehicle and obstacle, and calculate the safe distance. The system can create the top view images using a suitable transformation matrix in the database. Moreover, the system can detect the obstacles in the top view images. Then the distance between owner’s vehicle and obstacles can be calculated. At the same time, the GPS embedded in the smartphone can help to obtain the speed of the vehicles to calculate the safe distance. Finally, the system will give the driver suitable warning signal after comparing two distances. The experimental results show that the proposed real-time system is robust and efficient. Moreover, the system can work very well not only on motorcycles but also on cars.

This research work is organized in two parts. The first one addresses how to analyze the interdisciplinary problem of motorcycle safety, in order to maximize the positive impact of future motorcycle safety systems through a new methodological tool, which it was developed in this work. The second part describes a remote sensor, developed in this work, aimed at avoiding or mitigating the motorcycle crashes, as these were found necessary in the first part. Therefore, this research focused on the requirements to accomplish a conceptual safety functionality, called Motorcycle Autonomous Emergency Braking (M-AEB). The reason for this is because this safety system does not exist for motorcycles. The specifications behind the M-AEB functionality were taken from the outcomes of a prior EU research project called ABRAM (Autonomous BRAking for Motorcycles).

碩士
中華大學
運輸科技與物流管理學系
105
Since July 2012, the government opened 250 cubic centimeters above the heavy motorcycles driving at all levels of expressways and fast road.Hence, the market of the large heavy motorcyclehas flourished. According to the Ministry of Communications statistics in September 2005, the number of large heavy motorcycle’s registration has been up to more than 100,000 units,and continue to grow every year. However, large heavy motorcycles are a relatively dangerous vehicle compared to other modes of transport. The accidental reaction time is shorter than general bike, and the extent of vehicle protection to protect drivers and passengers is far lower than the car, resulting in serious casualties than other types of transport and even harm the other road users. So the large heavy motorcycle’s traffic issues shouldbe strictlyconcerned by the Ministry of Transportation. The main purpose of this study was researching the relationship between safety knowledge, safety attitude and driving behaviors of large heavy motorcyclists.Subject in the study werethelarge heavy motorcyclists in the northern part of Taiwan.According tothe results of this study show that the safety knowledge oflarge heavy motorcyclists are generally inadequate, The average score of safety knowledge for young people is lower than other age group and the higher the educational level is, the higher the safety knowledge scores.In the safety attitude, the young people have irregularities, speeding attitude tendencies, and peple having moreaccident experience have the lower driving scores.The results show that safe driving knowledge and safe driving attitude have a significantly positive impact on driving behavior. Keywords: the large heavy motorcyclists, safe driving knowledge, sefe driving attitude, driving behavior

碩士
國立臺灣海洋大學
運輸與航海科學系
98
With economic development and technological advances, the amount of private transportation grows up very fast and this becomes a very important issue. Especially in recent years, we have confronted the global economic downturn and high oil prices. When choosing transportation with one of the key factors is high oil prices. On account of the importance and above information, issues about road safety of motorcycles will become more and more significant that we cannot ignore. This study mainly aims at examing the influence of the motorcyclists’ knowledge and riding attitudes on the riding behavior by means of the measuring instruments, examining sheets regarding traffic safety, safety attitudes questionnaire, and ridiing behavior questionnaire. this study also apply item response theory (IRT) to analyze driving knowledge items and motorcyclists’ knowledge abilities. This study includes 556 questionnaires from riding motorcyclists in both Taipei City and Taipei County, and the numbers of questionnaires with valid answers are 501, occupying 90% of the total questionnaires. According to the result of this study, most of the motorcyclists lacks of driving knowledge, we could also know that if we gain much knowledge about safety driving we could reduce the dangers caused by ignorance, but not significant in intentional driving behaviors.

碩士
國立臺灣海洋大學
導航與通訊系
94
This thesis analyzing the characteristics of motorcycle accidents in Taipei City is based on the information of injuries and fatal accidents in the period of 2001-2004.This research divides the motorcycle accident places into two parts-intersections and road sections.First of all, the principal components analysis of factor analysis is used to integrate with the related factors of accidents.Then, the poisson regression methods in generalized linear models are used to construct the accident analysis model on intersections and road sections in Taipei.The regression results show that sections of road accident variables are variable visibility such as weather, road types, rush hours...and so on.On other hand, the most obvious intersection accident variables are holidaies, road types, weathers and lights, using the data envelopment analysis method to analyse the influence of the road improvment on accidents.The analysis results show that the influence of the road improvment projects on motorcycle accident is not obvious. The government need to concern about the safety of motorcycles more. Most of the causes of motorcycle accidents are caused by driving negligence.In this research plan to the growth policy of the motorcycle advanced safe system by the crash vector and chain codes.The result shows that collision avoidance system, motorcycle Condition Detectors, and Light Control System prevention rate is higher then any other advanced safety systems which can decrease the motorcycle crash accidents.This study proposes that The Departmant of Transportation can develop this three motorcycle advanced safety systems to decrease the motorcycle crash accidents.

The decreasing number of road accidents in Europe is correlated to the massive application of active safety systems on the vehicles. The evolution of advanced safety technologies, unfortunately does not apply also to Powered Two-Wheelers (PTWs). The raising trend of PTWs circulation in the streets has not been followed by an equal development of innovative active safety systems for those vehicles. The complex dynamics of PTWs slows down the design of new technologies and limits the possibility to find relevant solutions to address crucial aspects for road safety, as the vehicle stability under emergency situations. That points out the necessity to develop new advanced riding assistance systems able to enhance the riders and PTWs safety. Accordingly, the present work studies the potentialities of the current braking systems for PTWs application and describes the design of a new braking system. Relevant issues related to the development of the advanced braking system, as the real-time estimation of the vehicle speed and tire-road friction, are addressed. Fall detection parameters, used to control the stability of the vehicle during emergency maneuvers, are defined and verified by virtual and experimental data. The analysis of different aspects correlated to the braking dynamics of PTWs gave the possibility to define a new concept of braking force modulation applicable in case of loss of stability. Rationales, benefits and limitations of this new safety function, named Active Braking Control (ABC), are presented in detail. The virtual tests carried out to assess the potentialities of the system, demonstrated the effectiveness of the new braking force modulation strategy, in terms of improvement of vehicle stability and control.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
Grounded theory analysis, informed by a socio-cultural lens, was applied to the narratives of eighteen motorcycle riders in order to understand, from the rider’s perspective, receptivity to warning messages regarding motorcycle helmet use. This study relied upon narrative analysis to identify patterns in communication that surround motorcycle riders’ experiences. Socio-cultural cues identified importance in the process of interest development in motorcycle riding, search for information regarding motorcycle riding, response to danger within the motorcycle riding experience, and attitude toward protection messages. Narratives specific to danger, or experiences of motorcycle accidents were analyzed for comparison with fear appeal theory. Special focus was applied to Terror Management Theory (TMT) and applied to the communication surrounding the real experiences of motorcycle accident and the perceived threat of danger while motorcycle riding. Communication evidencing relational influence was examined for examples of socially constructed interpretation of social identity and an individual rider's perspective of their lifeworld. The analysis revealed evidence of the TMT concept of burying or denying thoughts of danger. The TMT concept of lifeworld influence on behavior was evidenced in riders who did not accept warning messages involving helmet use. Examples of attitude and behavior change where present in two study participants’ narratives that described experience of severe injury and also the death of a friend. The riders cited these occurrences as experiences that inhibited their previous behavior of placing thoughts of motorcycle injury and death in the back of mind. Although small in number, this participant group offered multiple categorizations of rider descriptions. The narratives offered distinction in time of life when riding interest developed. As well, motorcycle training facilities were often noted as a source of communication from which riders obtained influence on their future behaviors. From this information insight was gained to offer suggestions for future research on time of message delivery. Riders who develop interest in riding as adults represent a category on which to focus preliminary educational messages. Individuals who have not yet developed an interest in motorcycle riding may benefit from societal cues that demonstrate safe riding behavior. Future research in mass media appeals focused on motorcycle riders are suggested, as is development of educational programs for delivery to high school audiences.