Age and engine displacement are associated with unsafe motorcycle rider actions

Sacha Dubois; Dylan Antoniazzi; Rupert Klein; Michel Bédard

doi:10.1016/j.jsr.2020.04.004

Age and engine displacement are associated with unsafe motorcycle rider actions

J Safety Res. 2020 Sep:74:119-124. doi: 10.1016/j.jsr.2020.04.004. Epub 2020 Apr 30.

Authors

Sacha Dubois¹, Dylan Antoniazzi², Rupert Klein³, Michel Bédard⁴

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Applied Health Research, St. Joseph's Care Group, 580 North Algoma Street, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5G4, Canada; Centre for Research on Safe Driving, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada; Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Human Sciences Division, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada; School of Nursing, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada. Electronic address: duboiss@tbh.net.
² Centre for Research on Safe Driving, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada; Department of Psychology, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada.
³ Centre for Applied Health Research, St. Joseph's Care Group, 580 North Algoma Street, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5G4, Canada; Centre for Research on Safe Driving, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada; Department of Psychology, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada.
⁴ Centre for Applied Health Research, St. Joseph's Care Group, 580 North Algoma Street, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5G4, Canada; Centre for Research on Safe Driving, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada; Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Human Sciences Division, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada; Department of Health Sciences, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada.

PMID: 32951772
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsr.2020.04.004

Abstract

Background: Our goal was to examine the relationship between age and engine displacement in cubic centimeters (CCs) and crash responsibility.

Methods: Male motorcyclists, aged 16-94, involved in a fatal crash in the United States (1987-2015) who tested negative for both drugs and alcohol were included. Employing a case control design, cases had committed one or more Unsafe Motorcyclist Actions (UMAs), the proxy measure of responsibility; controls had no UMAs recorded. Odds ratios were computed via multinomial regression examining the effect of motorcyclists' age and motorcycle displacement (up to 1500 CCs, in 250 CC increments) on crash responsibility by any UMA and top three individual UMAs committed.

Results: A total of 19,166 motorcyclists met our inclusion criteria. Increased displacement was observed in older motorcyclists and in more recent crashes. Fifty-six percent of motorcyclists committed one or more UMAs (n = 10,743). The top three individual UMAs were: Speeding (35%, n = 6,728), Weaving (24%, n = 3,269), and Erratic Operation (6%, n = 1,162). Odds ratios for committing any UMA were the greatest for riders on 750 CC motorcycles, followed closely by 500 and 1000 CC motorcycles. By 1250 CCs the effect of displacement on rider crash responsibility (any UMA) was no longer statistically significant. Typically, younger ages (e.g., 20-30) on motorcycles with 500-1000 CCs were associated with the highest odds of either speeding, weaving, or erratic riding compared to similar aged riders on 250 CC motorcycles. Exceptions were observed, for example riders at 70 years of age on 1500 CCs having higher odds of speeding than younger riders on equivalent CC motorcycles.

Conclusion: Education and legislative measures should be considered. Educationally, the development of training interventions focusing on control, stability, and breaking differences with more powerful motorcycles (750 to 1250 CCs) is needed. Legislatively, licensing tiers could be employed based on displacement and educational requirements. Education and legislative measures could help to curb the trend seen between high-powered motorcycles and crash responsibility.

Keywords: Crash responsibility; Engine size; Fatal Crash; Motorcycle; Speeding; Weaving.

MeSH terms

Accidents, Traffic / classification
Accidents, Traffic / statistics & numerical data*
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Case-Control Studies
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Motorcycles / statistics & numerical data*
Odds Ratio
United States
Young Adult