| Abstract | An increasing number of people are choosing to ride motorcycles for recreation, pleasure and for commuting. Furthermore, motorcycles have great environmental advantages over cars. However, there are also serious safety concerns.
Aims: The aim of this study is to provide a general descriptive account of trends over time from 1990 to 2009 for motorcycle crashes in South Australia. This is achieved through a comparison of age groups for total motorcycle crashes, single and multiple vehicles crashes, metropolitan and non-metropolitan high and low speed area crashes, and gender of the motorcyclist.
Databases: Police-reported crash data (Traffic Accident Reporting System TARS) allowed a general exploratory account of motorcycle crashes in South Australia from 1990 to 2009.
Results: Crash frequencies are tabulated with particular reference to (a) different ages of motorcyclist, (b) the metropolitan versus non-metropolitan distinction, (c) single and multiple vehicle crashes, and (d) gender of motorcyclist. Each analysis showed a similar trend in crash frequency for age groups, with younger riders (16-29yrs) declining in crash frequency, the intermediate age group (30-39yrs) consistent in frequency over time, and the older age group (40yrs and above) increasing in crash frequency per year, particularly in recent years.
Conclusions: Changes in the trends between age groups for crash frequency over time suggest that there is a shift in motorcycle use for the older and younger age groups in recent years. Further research needs to be directed to economic, social and motivational differences between the various age groups of motorcyclists. |
