A Survey of Texas Motorcyclists Gear Use

Transcription

1 A Survey of Texas Motorcyclists Gear Use Michael Manser Laura Higgins Samantha Haynes Human Factors Program Manager Texas A&M Transportation Institute Texas A&M University

2 Motorcyclists Safety Equipment Use Program Project ID: 2015-TTI-G-1YG-0037 Deliverable for: Objective 1: Survey 200 Texas Motorcycle Riders by 1/31/2015 Activity: Summarize Results in a Technical Memo and Submit to TxDOT Sponsor: Texas Department of Transportation 125 East 11 th Street Austin, TX Special acknowledgement to D.J. Jeffries

3 Problem Identification The rate of motorcycle related fatalities (n = 460) and serious injuries (n = 5,202, 2013) in Texas continues to be one of the highest in the United States (n = 4,957, 2012). Only Florida and California are worse. In 2012 in Texas, 52% of the motorcyclists killed were not wearing rudimentary safety equipment.

4 Problem Identification The most frequent reasons cited for not wearing a helmet included (McCartt et al 2011; Turner et al 2011) - personal preference/freedom - no protective benefits - obscure vision or reduce hearing Likelihood to wear gear (2012 Texas Survey) - Boots, 89% - Gloves, 85% - Jackets, 57% - Pants, 35% There is a crucial need to - understand why Texas riders do not wear safety equipment - identify information that would promote gear use - deploy a program to educate riders Why do and why don t riders wear gear and how can that information be used to encourage gear use?

5 Motorcycle Gear Use Survey Methods Sample Size: N = 203 Locations: Motorcycle events, dealers, shops, on the street Sex: Men and women Age: 18 + Results Demographics Riding History and Habits Gear Use Reasons for Wearing or Not Wearing Gear Gear Selection Media and Messages All Gear Some Gear No Gear All the Time Some Times Never Limitations

6 Demographics Sex: Marital Status: Education: 80% men, 20% women 59% married, 29% single, 8% divorced, 2% widowed, 1% other 1% less than HS, 14% HS, 34% some College, 13% AD, 27% BS, 10% GD Gear Use Age Totals All the gear, all the time Partial or inconsistent gear use Minimal/no gear use Totals

7 Gear Use - Gear Type 100% 90% Percent Reporting 100% Use 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% "ATGATT" "Some gear"

8 Reasons for Helmet Use Participants rank ordered their top three reasons. #1 #2 #3 Other Weather Style Protective benefits Required by law Lets me listen to Habit Peer pressure 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% Primary reason for wearing a helmet is for protection followed by weather and habit.

9 Reasons for No Helmet Use # 1 # 2 # 3 Other Gives me helmet-hair Style Heat/weather Uncomfortable/poor fit Too expensive Peer pressure Feels better to ride without it I'm a skilled enough rider that I don't need No protective benefits Not as important on some rides Habit 0% 10% 20% 30% 0% 10% 20% 30% 0% 10% 20% 30% Primary reasons for not wearing a helmet are lack of importance, feeling better, and weather

10 Reasons for Wearing Other Gear # 1 # 2 # 3 Other Weather (cold/rain/wind) Style Protective benefits Habit Peer pressure (from family, friends, and/or people I ride with) 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

11 # 1 # 2 # 3 Other Not required by law Takes too much time to put on/take off Style Inappropriate attire for where I'm going (work, Reasons for not wearing other gear. Heat/weather Uncomfortable/poor fit Too expensive Peer pressure (family, friends, people I ride Feels better to ride without it I'm a skilled enough rider that I don't need it as No protective benefits Not as important on some rides (short, low- Habit 0% 20% 40% 0% 20% 40% 0% 20% 40%

12 Incentives to Wear a Helmet #1 #2 #3 Motorcycle club/event rules requiring helmets More riders around me wearing helmets My friends or family asking me to wear a helmet Information about the odds of surviving a crash with vs. Information about what types of injuries it will prevent or 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40%

13 Incentives to Wear Other Gear #1 #2 #3 Motorcycle club/event rules requiring certain types of gear More riders around me wearing gear My friends or family asking me to wear more gear Information about the odds of surviving a crash with vs. without the gear Information about what types of injuries it will prevent or reduce 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40%

14 Gear Selection Proper fit Abrasion protection Comfort Impact protection Ventilation Cold protection Heat protection Rain protection Conspicuity Cost Appearance Brand Less than 100% Wearers 100% Wearers 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Percentages of participants rating each criterion for jackets/pants/vests as Very Important.

15 Conclusions What is All the gear, all the time? ATGATT needs clarification Reasons why and why not. Why: Protection, Habit, Weather Why not: Weather, feeling, not important on some rides What would convince you to wear more gear? odds of surviving a crash with and without gear information about the types of injuries that could be reduced by safety gear pressure from family or friends to wear more gear. Point to the value of messages that provide detailed information about the ways that specific safety gear types prevent or reduce injuries, as well as for messages that enlist riders family and friends (including other riders) to encourage more gear use.

16 Contact Information Michael Manser Human Factors Program Manager