Allison Daniello

Fatality risk in motorcycle collisions with roadside objects in the United States

Motorcycle crashes with roadside objects often involve more than one impact event: typically involving a collision with the ground and another object. The objective of this study was to determine the fatality risk in these roadside object collisions when compared with crashes only involving a collision with the ground. The roadside objects analyzed included guardrails, concrete barriers, signs, utility poles, and trees. The Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) database was used in conjunction with the General Estimates System (GES) to analyze fatality risk for motorcycle crashes from 2004 to 2008. The analysis was based upon over 3600 fatal motorcycle crashes with roadside objects. Collisions with roadside objects were found to have a higher fatality risk than collisions with either the ground or another motor vehicle. Based on the most harmful event reported in the crash, motorcycle collisions with guardrail were 7 times more likely to be fatal than collisions with the ground, and collisions with trees were almost 15 times more likely to be fatal than collisions with the ground. Additionally, the roadside object was reported as the most harmful event in the majority of the crashes in fatal two-event crashes involving a roadside object and a collision with the ground, with the exception of collisions with signage. From these analyses it was concluded that collisions with fixed objects are more harmful to motorcyclists than collisions with the ground.

Effect of Barrier Type on Injury Severity in Motorcycle-to-Barrier Collisions in North Carolina, Texas, and New Jersey

Motorcycle collisions with barriers have been shown to be much more severe than other vehicle collisions with barriers. The impact of barrier type on injury severity for motorcyclists has been greatly debated. There is growing concern about the risk associated with motorcycles colliding with cable barriers, although to date no definitive evidence has shown that cable barriers are indeed more harmful to motorcyclists than other barrier types. This study analyzed 951 motorcycle–barrier crashes involving 1,047 riders from 2003 to 2008 in North Carolina, Texas, and New Jersey to determine the effect of barrier type on injury severity in crashes. Barrier types were determined by using photographs of the reported crash site. There were 546 W-beam guardrail collisions, 358 concrete barrier collisions, and 47 cable barrier collisions observed. Of the people involved in W-beam collisions with known injury severity, 40.1% were fatally or severely injured. Likewise, 40.3% of people involved in cable barrier collisions with known injury severity were fatally or severely injured. The odds of severe injury in W-beam crashes to concrete barrier crashes were 1.164 (95% confidence interval: 0.889 to 1.524) for all riders involved in the barrier crashes analyzed, which was not significant at the 0.05 level. However, if the rider was helmeted, the odds of severe injury in a W-beam guardrail collision were 1.419 (95% confidence interval: 1.024 to 1.966) times as great as the odds of severe injury in concrete barrier collisions, a factor found to be significant at the 0.05 level. For both helmeted and unhelmeted riders, there was no significant difference in the odds of severe injury between the cable barrier collisions and the W-beam guardrail collisions. However, a smaller number of cable barrier collisions than W-beam guardrail collisions were included in the analysis.

Effectiveness of Motorcycle Training and Licensing

Motorcycle crash fatalities in the United States have been increasing since 1997, when the total number of fatalities reached a record low. Motorcycle training programs were enacted before this rise, and many studies have aimed to show their effectiveness. The objective of this study is to review and synthesize the results of existing research on the effectiveness of motorcycle education courses and different licensing procedures. The effectiveness of programs is examined through the effect training has on accident rates, violation rates, and personal protective equipment use found through past research. Research to date has not consistently supported the notion that training is either effective or ineffective. Some studies have demonstrated that accident and traffic violation rates are lower for trained riders than for untrained riders, whereas others have demonstrated that they are higher for trained riders. Training increases the use of personal protective equipment among motorcyclists. Motorcycle licensing procedures have been shown to have different effects on accident rates. Lower accident rates have been observed in areas with stricter regulations for obtaining a license. The studies vary greatly in both the methods used for comparison and the rigor of their evaluation methodology. No standards for evaluation exist. The findings of these previous studies may be more a reflection of the methods used to evaluate motorcycle training than the effectiveness of training itself.

Characteristics of Injuries in Motorcycle-to-Barrier Collisions in Maryland

Motorcycle-to-barrier collisions are more serious than many other motorcycle crash modes, such as collisions with only the ground or passenger cars. To identify the potential need for design improvements to traffic barriers to reduce the severity of these crashes, the injuries incurred during these collisions must first be understood better. The objective of the study was to determine the type, relative frequency, and severity of injuries incurred in motorcycle-to-barrier crashes in Maryland. The Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System (CODES) was used to analyze motorcycle crashes in Maryland from 2006 to 2008. CODES links police-reported crashes to hospital data, providing detailed information about injuries incurred during collision. This study focused on four crash modes for motorcyclists: single-vehicle barrier collisions, single-vehicle fixed-object collisions, multivehicle collisions, and single-vehicle overturn-only collisions. The most commonly injured body regions for all motorcycle crashes were the upper or lower extremities or both; more than 70% of motorcyclists involved in crashes analyzed suffered an injury to the upper or lower extremities or both. Motorcyclists involved in barrier collisions were 2.15 (95% CI: 1.17 to 3.92) times more likely to suffer serious injury to the thorax than were motorcyclists involved in overturn-only collisions. Additionally, the risk of rib fracture was increased for barrier and other fixed-object collisions, compared with that of multivehicle collisions. The relative risk of rib fracture compared with risk in multivehicle collisions was 1.99 (95% CI: 1.17 to 3.40) in barrier collisions and 2.32 (95% CI: 1.62 to 3.33) in other fixed-object collisions.

Relationship Between Rider Trajectory and Injury Outcome in Motorcycle-to-Barrier Crashes

In collisions with traffic barriers, motorcyclists have a much higher risk of fatality than other road users. Many databases focus on the vehicle when reporting the sequence of events; however, in motorcycle collisions, the vehicle and rider often separate and follow different trajectories. The aim of this study was to determine how rider trajectory influences injury outcome. Rider trajectories in barrier collisions were determined through an analysis of police accident reports from New Jersey (2007 to 2011). Seven trajectories were identified: upright, sliding, vaulting, ejected (same side landing), ejected (side unknown), ejected into barrier, and separated before barrier impact. Google Earth Street View was used to verify the barrier type in each collision. Of the 442 single-vehicle motorcycle-to-barrier collisions reported in New Jersey, police accident reports were analyzed for 430 crashes and the barriers were identified for 342 of these crashes (77.4% of all crashes). In the analyzed crashes, 361 riders and passengers were involved. In these crashes, riders most often struck the barrier upright without being ejected from the motorcycle. Barrier type and occurrence on an entrance or exit ramp were found to have a significant effect on the distribution of rider trajectory outcomes. Additionally, being ejected from the motorcycle after striking the barrier increased the odds of serious injury by 2.91 times (95% confidence interval: 1.31 to 6.46).

Rating Roads for Motorcyclist Safety: Development of a Motorcycle Road Assessment Program

Motorcycles are vastly different from other vehicles on the road: they are highly unstable and provide little protection to users. Because of motorcycle instability, variations in road surfaces and geometry may be more hazardous to motorcyclists than to other road users. Road safety ratings for the entire vehicle fleet, primarily cars, have been applied to roadways in Europe, the United States, and Australia. However, these primarily car-oriented systems have limited value for motorcyclists. This study develops a unique road safety rating system designed for motorcyclists. On the basis of normalized motorcycle crash rates, roads were classified into five safety rating categories, ranging from low risk to severe risk. The new methodology for rating roads was applied to 16 roads in New Jersey, covering 1,099.5 mi (1,769.5 km) of road. Roadways were mapped to create a visual representation of the distribution of safety hazards on the analyzed roads. Of these roads, 19% posed a severe risk to motorcyclists. The majority of the roads mapped (27%) had a medium risk for motorcycles. The statewide crash risk mapping was supplemented by an in-depth site investigation of an area known to be particularly hazardous to motorcyclists, to develop a better understanding of potentially dangerous roadway conditions.