Some epidemiologic features of motorcycle collision injuries. I. Introduction, methods and factors associated with incidence. Effect of motorcycle rider education on changes in risk behaviours and motorcycle-related injuries in rural Thailand.
Using official police reports and hospital admission and emergency room medical records, 1273 persons with confirmed medically treated motorcycle injury were identified in Sacramento County, California, during 1970. Less than 39% of all injured motorcyclists were identified in this study using only official police reports. The annual incidence rate was highest for 18-year-old male drivers. In addition to age of driver, risk of injury was associated with drivers of short stature (less than 173 cm) operating an intermediate or larger size motorcycle. Risk of injury was higher for drivers with training than for those without training or those who operated their motorcycles frequently regardless of type of use. Risk of injury was not related to make of motorcycle but was related to engine size. Two-thirds of the injury-producing collisions involved a motorcycle and a second motor vehicle. Motorcycle collisions occurred most fre quently during the afternoon and early evening hours and during the summer months, but peaks in incidence of collisions occurred during weeks which included a holiday. A community-based programme for motorcycle rider education was provided for motorcyclists in all villages of 3 randomly selected subdistricts in Mae Sot District, Tak Province, northern Thailand, between January and March 1995. To determine the extent of changes in risk-taking behaviours, we conducted an interview survey of motorcyclists in 3 villages selected by systematic sampling from the 3 intervention subdistricts and in 3 control (without intervention) villages for comparison in March 1997, 2 years after the programme. Motorcyclists in the intervention villages (69.7%) were significantly more likely to have valid licences than those in the control villages (46.5%). The proportion of motorcyclists who always or often wore helmets was significantly greater in the intervention sample (46.0%) than in the control sample (20.5%). In 1994, the annual incidence rate of motorcycle-related injuries was slightly higher in the intervention areas than in the control areas Following the education programme, the injury rates for 1995 and 1996 were significantly lower in the intervention than in the control population. The annual number and rate of fatal motorcycle injuries decreased after the intervention although there was no significant difference between the two populations. Motorcycle rider education may be a promising intervention for prevention of motorcycle-related injuries in rural areas where road safety measures, particularly enforcement activities, are commonly limited.
Due to the poor quality of studies identified, we were unable to draw any conclusions about the effectiveness of rider training on crash, injury, or offence rates. The findings suggest that mandatory pre-licence training may be an impediment to completing a motorcycle licensing process, possibly indirectly reducing crashes through a reduction in exposure. It is not clear if training (or what type) reduces the risk of crashes, injuries or offences in motorcyclists, and a best rider training practice can therefore not be recommended. As some type of rider training is likely to be necessary to teach motorcyclists to ride a motorcycle safely, rigorous research is needed.