An exploratory multinomial logit analysis of single-vehicle motorcycle accident severity

A review of risk factors and patterns of motorcycle injuries

Objective To investigate whether the risk of motorcycle crash related injuries is associated with the conspicuity of the driver or vehicle. Design Population based case-control study. Setting Auckland region of New Zealand from February 1993 to February 1996. Participants 463 motorcycle drivers (cases) involved in crashes leading to hospital treatment or death; 1233 motorcycle drivers (controls) recruited from randomly selected roadside survey sites. Main outcome measures Estimates of relative risk of motorcycle crash related injury and population attributable risk associated with conspicuity measures, including the use of reflective or fluorescent clothing, headlight operation, and colour of helmet, clothing, and motorcycle. Results Crash related injuries occurred mainly in urban zones with 50 km/h speed limit (66%), during the day (63%), and in fine weather (72%). After adjustment for potential confounders, drivers wearing any reflective or fluorescent clothing had a 37% lower risk (multivariate odds ratio 0.63, 95% confidence interval 0.42 to 0.94) than other drivers. Compared with wearing a black helmet, use of a white helmet was associated with a 24% lower risk (multivariate odds ratio 0.76, 0.57 to 0.99). Self reported light coloured helmet versus dark coloured helmet was associated with a 19% lower risk. Three quarters of motorcycle riders had their headlight turned on during the day, and this was associated with a 27% lower risk (multivariate odds ratio 0.73, 0.53 to 1.00). No association occurred between risk and the frontal colour of drivers’ clothing or motorcycle. If these odds ratios are unconfounded, the population attributable risks are 33% for wearing no reflective or fluorescent clothing, 18% for a non-white helmet, 11% for a dark coloured helmet, and 7% for no daytime headlight operation.

/pdf/motorcycle-rider-conspicuity-and-crash-related-injury-case-46ln8xzq8j.pdf

Motorcycle rider conspicuity and crash related injury: case-control study

A behavioral comparison between motorcyclists and a matched group of non-motorcycling car drivers: factors influencing accident risk

http://eprints.qut.edu.au/51202/1/MODELIING_FAULT_AMONG_MOTORCYCLISTS_INVOLVED_IN_CRASHES.pdf

Modeling fault among motorcyclists involved in crashes

The report presents the data and findings from the on-scene, in-depth investigations of 900 motorcycle accidents and the analysis of 3600 motorcycle traffic accident reports in the same study area. Volume II is the Appendix with terminology, field data forms, and supplemental data and analysis.

https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/5652/dot_5652_DS1.pdf

Motorcycle accident cause factors and identification of countermeasures. volume ii: appendix/supplemental data

Detailed injury data were collected for 900 motorcycle accidents by on-scene, in-depth investigations by research teams sponsored by NHTSA. Special attention was given to the injuries of the head and neck, as well as other regions of the body, so that injuries could be compared with contact surfaces and protective equipment. The effectiveness of various safety helmet configurations was evaluated by comparing helmeted and unhelmeted riders, then comparing the injuries to the protectable regions of the head, face and neck. These comparisons show spectacular benefits for helmet use with obvious advantage for reduction of head and face injury, with subtle advantage for reduction of neck injury. In addition, the advantage of injury reduction is shown to increase significantly with increased helmet coverage, i.e., the full facial coverage helmet offers the greatest benefit without disadvantage due to higher helmet weight. Gloves, jackets, boots and eye protection show significant protection in accident events, and those riders using such protection are known to be less accident-involved as well as less injury-involved.

Effectiveness of motorcycle safety helmets and protective clothing

The crash performance of motorcycle safety helmets can be determined by reconstruction of accident events and special examination of the safety helmet. A large number of motorcycle safety helmets were collected by the NHTSA Motorcycle Research Team at USC and disassembled and examined for crash performance. Accident dynamics were correlated with helmet damage to evaluate performance for retention, penetration resistance, and impact attenuation. Contact surfaces are identified and located, normal and tangential impact velocities are calculated, and the abrasion and compression signatures of the liner and shell are measured. These factors are related to injury prevention or injury causation and the critical elements of FMVSS 218. Special problems of impact signature identification are related and helmet tests for replication of accident conditions are described. A current summary of helmet analysis is included.

James V. Ouellet

Papers

Motorcycle accident cause factors and identification of countermeasures. volume ii: appendix/supplemental data

Effectiveness of motorcycle safety helmets and protective clothing

Analysis of accident-involved motorcycle safety helmets