Dj. Chesham et al., MOTORCYCLING SAFETY RESEARCH - A REVIEW OF THE SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL LITERATURE, Social science & medicine, 37(3), 1993, pp. 419-429
The literature on motorcycling safety research is reviewed, and it is
argued that there have been two main periods. The first, spanning the
1970's, was based on accident analysis, and the main objective was to
identify and control factors that contribute to the severity of motorc
ycling accidents. The main concerns were to reduce head and brain inju
ries through safety helmets, to reduce multi-vehicle collisions throug
h daytime use of headlamps, and to reduce drink-riding. The second per
iod, the 1980's, shifted the emphasis of research to what might be cal
led 'riding analysis'-that is, analysis of the process of motorcycle r
iding. Particular attention was paid to skills testing, training evalu
ation and perceived risk. Now, in the early 1990's, a third period is
developing, in which the rider is seen as 'active agent'. The theoreti
cal basis of the new research has come from the models of social psych
ology, and the main concern is to use riders' beliefs and attitudes ab
out safe riding to predict their behaviour on the roads and so their a
ccident involvement. The three periods of research are reviewed in tur
n, and the paper concludes with an outline of the key research issues
that remain to be addressed.