| Motorcyclist
Attitudes
Rider Education &
Training
Licensing
Crash Avoidance Skills
Motorcyclist Alcohol
& Other Impairment
Personal Protective Equipment
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| ISSUE
STATEMENT |
The safety of motorcyclists is affected by their attitudes toward
skill development, their ability to practice risk management, and
the influence of their riding peers regarding such issues as protective
apparel and riding while impaired.
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| WHERE
WE ARE |
The attitudes of motorcyclists toward safety vary greatly. Some
motorcyclists emphasize safety in motorcycling activities while
others give it little thought.
Many riders appear to believe in the efficacy of rider training
programs to enhance their skill development and increase their
safety while riding. The prevalent rider training program in the
United States teaches skill development, risk management, the
use of protective apparel, and the danger of riding while impaired.
However, many riders remain untrained and therefore may miss important
safety messages.
Recent work in Australia has addressed the issues of motorcyclists’
hazard perception and risk recognition (Hazard
Perception for Motorcycle Riders Conference, 1999).
However, there is little in-depth information that specifically
addresses the effects of peer pressure, attitudes toward safety,
and the individual rider’s ability to recognize risk and
react appropriately.
Knowledge of rider peer pressure and motorcyclists’ attitudes
toward safety appears to be primarily anecdotal. Peer pressure
has been studied extensively regarding teenagers and drug/tobacco/alcohol
use. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
has conducted focus groups directed at alcohol-involved riders
that may provide insight into rider behavior and one component
of risk recognition (Syner,
2000).
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| WHERE
WE WANT TO BE |
We want to know how to provide motorcyclists with resources that
help them form more positive attitudes. To do so, we need to know
how they form their attitudes about safety-related issues.
• What sources of information and opinion have the most
influence on motorcyclists? How can we harness them to help provide
a more effective safety message to positively influence behavior?
• How can we prevent inaccurate information from becoming
widely distributed and repeated?
• What are the best methods of providing ready access to
accurate, practical information about safety-related issues and
encouraging safer behavior?
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| HOW
TO GET THERE |
Understanding
how motorcyclists develop their attitudes about safety issues requires
research.
• We want to know how motorcyclists form certain attitudes
and why they may reject relevant information.
• The most likely methods for learning about motorcyclists'
attitudes concerning safety are focus groups, crash research and
surveys. Such tools should be designed to explore motorcyclists'
attitudes and decision-making processes concerning safety and
related issues. This research should include crash-involved riders
and representative cross sections of motorcyclists to define attitudes
among the population-at-risk.
• The most prevalent sources of influence should be used
to help motorcyclists make informed decisions regarding safety
issues and to encourage safe behavior. As we identify the most
influential sources of positive, accurate information and influence,
they should be given additional support.
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