motorcycle gear usage study
TRANSCRIPT
Center for Transportation Safety
A Survey of
Texas Motorcyclists’ Gear Use
Michael Manser Laura Higgins
Samantha Haynes
Human Factors Program Manager Center for Transportation Safety
Texas A&M Transportation Institute Texas A&M University
Center for Transportation Safety
Motorcyclists Safety Equipment Use Program Project ID: 2015-TTI-G-1YG-0037 Deliverable for: Objective 1: Survey 200 Texas Motorcycle Riders by 1/31/2015 Activity: Summarize Results in a Technical Memo and Submit to TxDOT Sponsor: Texas Department of Transportation 125 East 11th Street Austin, TX 78701 Special acknowledgement to D.J. Jeffries
Center for Transportation Safety
Problem Identification
The rate of motorcycle related fatalities (n = 460) and serious injuries (n = 5,202, 2013) in Texas continues to be one of the highest in the United States (n = 4,957, 2012).
Only Florida and California are worse.
In 2012 in Texas, 52% of the motorcyclists killed were not wearing rudimentary safety equipment.
Center for Transportation Safety
Problem Identification
The most frequent reasons cited for not wearing a helmet included (McCartt et al 2011; Turner et al 2011)
- personal preference/freedom - no protective benefits - obscure vision or reduce hearing Likelihood to wear gear (2012 Texas Survey)
- Boots, 89% - Gloves, 85% - Jackets, 57% - Pants, 35% There is a crucial need to - understand why Texas riders do not wear safety equipment - identify information that would promote gear use - deploy a program to educate riders Why do and why don’t riders wear gear and how can that information be used to encourage gear use?
Center for Transportation Safety
Motorcycle Gear Use Survey
All Gear Some Gear No Gear
Methods • Sample Size: N = 203 • Locations: Motorcycle events,
dealers, shops, on the street • Sex: Men and women • Age: 18 +
Limitations…
Results • Demographics • Riding History and Habits • Gear Use • Reasons for Wearing or Not Wearing Gear • Gear Selection • Media and Messages
All the Time Some Times Never
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Demographics
Gear Use Age Totals 18-25
26-30
31-35
36-40
41-45
46-50
51-55
56-60
61+
“All the gear, all the time” 11 11 6 8 15 5 17 11 20 104 Partial or inconsistent gear use
20 16 8 9 10 11 19 11 8 112
Minimal/no gear use 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Totals 32 27 14 17 25 16 36 22 28 217
Sex: 80% men, 20% women
Marital Status: 59% married, 29% single, 8% divorced, 2% widowed, 1% other
Education: 1% less than HS, 14% HS, 34% some College, 13% AD, 27% BS, 10% GD
Center for Transportation Safety
Gear Use - Gear Type
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Perc
ent R
epor
ting
100%
Use
"ATGATT"
"Some gear"
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Reasons for Helmet Use
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Peer pressure
Habit
Lets me listen to…
Required by law…
Protective benefits
Style
Weather…
Other
#1
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
#2
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
#3
Participants rank ordered their top three reasons.
Primary reason for wearing a helmet is for protection followed by weather and habit.
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Reasons for No Helmet Use
0% 10% 20% 30%
Habit
Not as important onsome rides
No protective benefits
I'm a skilled enoughrider that I don't need…
Feels better to ridewithout it
Peer pressure
Too expensive
Uncomfortable/poor fit
Heat/weather
Style
Gives me helmet-hair
Other
# 1
0% 10% 20% 30%
# 2
0% 10% 20% 30%
# 3
Primary reasons for not wearing a helmet are lack of importance, feeling better, and weather
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Reasons for Wearing Other Gear
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Peer pressure (fromfamily, friends, and/or
people I ride with)
Habit
Protective benefits
Style
Weather(cold/rain/wind)
Other
# 1
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
# 2
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
# 3
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0% 20% 40%
Habit
Not as important onsome rides (short, low-…
No protective benefits
I'm a skilled enough riderthat I don't need it as…
Feels better to ridewithout it
Peer pressure (family,friends, people I ride…
Too expensive
Uncomfortable/poor fit
Heat/weather
Inappropriate attire forwhere I'm going (work,…
Style
Takes too much time toput on/take off
Not required by law
Other
# 1
0% 20% 40%
# 2
0% 20% 40%
# 3
Reasons for not wearing other gear.
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Incentives to Wear a Helmet
0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
Information aboutwhat types of injuries
it will prevent or…
Information about theodds of surviving a
crash with vs.…
My friends or familyasking me to wear a
helmet
More riders aroundme wearing helmets
Motorcycle club/eventrules requiring
helmets
#1
0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
#2
0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
#3
Center for Transportation Safety
Incentives to Wear Other Gear
0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
Information aboutwhat types of injuries
it will prevent orreduce
Information aboutthe odds of surviving
a crash with vs.without the gear
My friends or familyasking me to wear
more gear
More riders aroundme wearing gear
Motorcycleclub/event rulesrequiring certain
types of gear
#1
0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
#2
0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
#3
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Gear Selection
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Brand
Appearance
Cost
Conspicuity
Rain protection
Heat protection
Cold protection
Ventilation
Impact protection
Comfort
Abrasion protection
Proper fit
Less than 100% Wearers
100% Wearers
Percentages of participants rating each criterion for
jackets/pants/vests as “Very Important.”
Center for Transportation Safety
Conclusions
What is “All the gear, all the time?” • ATGATT needs clarification
Reasons why and why not. • Why: Protection, Habit, Weather • Why not: Weather, feeling, not important on some rides
What would convince you to wear more gear? • odds of surviving a crash with and without gear • information about the types of injuries that could be reduced by safety gear • pressure from family or friends to wear more gear.
Point to the value of messages that provide detailed information about the ways that specific safety gear types prevent or reduce injuries, as well as for messages that enlist riders’ family and friends (including other riders) to encourage more gear use.
Center for Transportation Safety
Contact Information Michael Manser Human Factors Program Manager [email protected]