Lessons Learned from Motorcyclist Surveys: Rider s Attitudes and Behaviors in Florida

Transcription

1 Lessons Learned from Motorcyclist Surveys: Rider s Attitudes and Behaviors in Florida *Chanyoung Lee, Ph.D., AICP, PTP Center for Urban Transportation Research University of South Florida 4202 East Fowler Avenue, CUT100 Tampa, FL Phone: (813) Fax: (813) cylee@cutr.usf.edu Joan Pino, M.A. Center for Urban Transportation Research Phone: (813) Fax: (813) Jpino2@cutr.usf.edu Keechoo Choi, Ph.D. Department of Transportation Systems Engineering Ajou University Suwon, South Korea Phone: keechoo@ajou.ac.kr * Corresponding author 2013 TRB Annual Meeting Submitted November 15, 2012 Word Count: 5,018 words + 9 figures and tables (250*9) = 7,349 words

2 ABSTRACT Motorcycles are a means of transportation, as well as one of the fastest growing hobbies, in the U.S. Corresponding with the sharp increase in motorcycle registrations, there has been an increase in motorcyclist fatalities and injuries in Florida. It is well-known that motorcycles are more than a mode of transportation to motorcyclists in the U.S. The ownership of a certain motorcycle type has identifiable social and behavioral characters. It could potentially affect how and why they ride a motorcycle. This study conducted two surveys, including a survey of motorcycle riders who just completed their required motorcycle training to obtain their motorcycle endorsement and a survey of randomly selected Florida motorcyclists. The findings and lessons learned from these two surveys are summarized in this study to gain insight into the preferences and behaviors of motorcyclists. ANOVA tests were performed to investigate the association between different variables and a two-step cluster analysis was conducted to understand the use of safety helmets and respondents attitudes toward the reinstatement of an universal helmet law in Florida. The study uncovered that motorcyclists start riding for a variety of reasons but more young people use a motorcycle as an inexpensive means of transportation. According to the survey, 28.2 percent of respondents have never had formal motorcycle training. The majority of motorcyclists unanimously support the mandatory training law, regardless of motorcycle type, age, gender, and riding experience. However, motorcyclists have mixed opinions toward the reinstatement of a universal helmet law in Florida.

3 Lee at al INTRODUCTION Motorcycles are a means of transportation, as well as one of the fast growing hobbies, in the U.S. (1). During the past ten years, motorcycle registrations have more than doubled in the U.S. and a much larger increase has been observed in Florida (2). Florida s sunny weather, beautiful beaches, and scenic highways make it a popular place for motorcycle enthusiasts. The state is also host to popular motorcycle rallies, such as Biketoberfest and Daytona Bike Week. Florida s growing rider population and popularity with motorcycle enthusiasts makes motorcycle safety an important issue. Corresponding with the sharp increase in motorcycle registrations, there has been an increase in motorcyclist fatalities and injuries in Florida. Table 1 shows the trend of motorcycle crashes, injuries, and fatalities in Florida. It is noted that the percentage of motorcycle fatalities to all traffic fatalities has stayed above 15 percent in Florida since Considering that motorcycle crashes represent around 3.3 percent of all traffic crashes on average during the same period, fatal motorcycle crashes are a critical safety concern in Florida. TABLE 1 Motorcycle Crash Trends in Florida ( ) (3) Year Motorcyclist Fatalities All Traffic Fatalities % of Total Motorcyclist Injuries All Traffic Injuries % of Total Motorcycle Crashes All Traffic Crashes % of Total , % 5, , % 5, , % , % 5, , % 5, , % , % 5, , % 6, , % , % 6, , % 7, , % , % 7, , % 8, , % , % 8, , % 8, , % , % 8, , % 9, , % , % 9, , % 9, , % , % 8, , % 8, , % , % 7, , % 7, , % Note: In this table the term motorcyclist includes both motorcycle riders and motorcycle passengers. During the last decade, numerous studies have been completed related to the cause of motorcycle crashes, the effectiveness of helmets, contributing factors to injuries, etc. (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8). These studies have presented several common findings, summarized as follows: Motorcycle crashes and fatalities increased significantly during the last decade. Over this same period, motorcycle sales and registration also increased (3, 10, 12). In the United States, motorcycle engine sizes and motorcycle weights are increasing (10, 11). The demographics of motorcyclists have been changing (10, 12). Common risk factors include drinking and riding, speeding, and conspicuity (9,12, 13). Proper training and the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) are considered effective countermeasures to reduce motorcycle crashes and fatalities (9, 11).

4 Lee at al A recent report by NHTSA confirmed that the most important objectives for improving motorcycle safety include increased helmet use, reduced alcohol-impaired motorcycle riding, and improved licensing and training (9). In the same report, it also noted that these objectives are difficult to achieve. For example, having an adequate regulation, such as a universal helmet law, is extremely effective in increasing the use of helmets but it may be a challenging task to implement due to political reasons. Therefore, many States would rather focus their efforts on changing motorcyclists behavior through education and communication. Thus it is essential to understand motorcycle behaviors and attitudes to measure both the opportunities and levels of improvement by various behavioral safety programs. Few studies have been conducted on motorcyclists attitudes and behaviors in the U.S. (14, 15, 16). Although some literature on this topic is available from other countries, it is important that research is conducted in the U.S. because motorcyclist culture in the U.S. can vary widely from other countries (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23). For example, in 2001, motorcycles accounted for 63.2 percent of all registered motor vehicles in China (24). In 2001 motorcycles only accounted for 2.1 percent of all registered motor vehicles in the U.S. (25). A study of motorcycle ownership characteristics in Taiwan found that income level has a significant negative influence on motorcycle ownership (26). The opposite has been found in the U.S., where the incomes of motorcyclists have been found to be higher than average (1). Another study found the number of trips made by motorcyclists in the U.S. is significantly lower than the number of trips made by motorcyclists in several European countries (27). In the U.S., the ownership of a certain motorcycle type has identifiable social and behavioral characters. It could potentially affect how and why they ride a motorcycle. For example, the 2008 Owner Survey by the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) reported that half of baby boomer motorcyclists ride traditional cruisers. In contrast, among Gen Y motorcyclists, modern, high-tech sport bikes lead the way, with 30 percent of riders choosing that style (1). This paper presents the findings and discussions of two motorcyclist surveys in Florida, including a survey of motorcycle riders who just completed their required motorcycle training to obtain their motorcycle endorsement and a survey of randomly selected Florida motorcyclists. FLORIDA RIDER TRAINING SURVEY A Florida law that became effective on July 1, 2008, mandated training to obtain a motorcycle endorsement (28). The Florida Rider Training Program (FRTP) monitors the administration and training of motorcycle training schools that provide endorsement courses to riders. A list of Florida Rider Training Program (FRTP) schools was obtained from the FRTP website ( and a total of 67 FRTP schools were contacted to inquire if they would administer a 35 question paper and pencil survey to new graduates upon completion of the course. A total of 8 FRTP schools with training facilities located in 12 different cities in Florida agreed to assist in administering the survey. A target sample size of 500 responses was selected based on the number of motorcycle endorsements issued in Florida between July 2010 and July 2011 (33,008 endorsements). A total of 976 survey questionnaires were distributed to the 8 participating schools and a total of 500 completed surveys were collected, representing riders from 33 different Florida counties, which resulted in a response rate of 51.2%. Therefore, results can be interpreted with a margin of error of +/- 3.7 percent at the 90 percent level of confidence. In terms of how representative the dataset is of newly endorsed riders in Florida, demographic information of newly endorsed riders is not available.

5 Lee at al This survey has the unique advantage of collecting feedback from newly endorsed riders. While some riders take the course to improve their skills (4.6%), the majority (64%) take the course because they are new riders and are required to in order to obtain their endorsement. More than a quarter of respondents (26%) indicated that they had been riding prior to the course without an endorsement. In addition, some respondents (3.2%) took the course to fulfill a court order. It is interesting to note that the proportion of motorcyclists who indicated that they had been riding prior to the course (without an endorsement) somewhat matches the proportion of unendorsed motorcyclists (20-25%) that is derived from motorcycle crash data. As some respondents indicated they had been riding prior to taking the course, it is expected that respondents would have various levels of riding experience. Table 2 shows the distribution of motorcycle riding experience by the gender of respondents. In total, only 31.2 percent of respondents had never ridden a motorcycle. Additionally, 16 percent of respondents consider themselves very experienced riders. De Rome and colleagues conducted a survey of novice riders to determine their riding experience before licensing and found that 37.7 percent of respondents had ridden on-road before obtaining their learners license (17). While 68.8 percent of survey respondents indicated some previous riding experience prior to taking the course in this survey, it is noted that the De Rome and colleagues study was conducted on Australian riders, which could be a reason for the difference. TABLE 2 Motorcycle Riding Experience Prior to Training Course by Gender Age \ Gender Female Male Total Very experienced 2.8% 18.2% 16.0% Somewhat experienced 12.5% 37.6% 34.0% Somewhat inexperienced 22.2% 17.3% 18.0% Very inexperienced (I had never driven a motorcycle prior to the course) 62.5% 25.9% 31.2% Blank 0.0% 0.9% 0.8% Total (Sample Size) 100% (72) 100%(428) 100% (500) More than 95 percent of respondents gave the course an overall rating of excellent or good. However, Table 3 shows that the level of comfort riding a motorcycle in traffic after taking the course is quite different by gender. There is a statistically significant difference in respondents reported level of comfort riding in traffic after training between gender as determined by a one-way ANOVA of level of comfort riding a motorcycle in traffic (F = , df=1, p = 0.000). However, there is no statistically significant difference by age (F=1.905, df=6, p=0.078). No evidence was found that the level of comfort is associated with the type or engine size of motorcycle they own or plan to own. Interestingly, a one-way ANOVA test regarding motorcycle riding experience prior to the course found a statistically significant difference (F=49.491, df=1, p=.000) between gender groups. In other words, more male motorcyclists indicated that they had riding experience prior to the training course and those trainees with riding experience reported higher levels of comfort riding a motorcycle in traffic after taking the course than trainees with no previous riding experience.

6 Lee at al TABLE 3 Average level of Comfort Riding a Motorcycle in Traffic After Training (7:Very comfortable 1:Very Uncomfortable) Age \ Gender Female Male or older Average (Sample size) 4.56 (70) 5.50 (422) Respondents were also asked to indicate the likelihood of engaging in the following risk taking behaviors within the next 6 months: (1) Riding a motorcycle without helmet, (2) Riding a motorcycle 20 mph or more above the posted speed limit, (3) Riding a motorcycle within two hours of drinking alcohol. It was found that the stated likelihood of engaging in all of these activities is significantly different by riding experience prior to the training course. Specifically, motorcyclists who stated that they were very experienced or somewhat experienced prior to the training course were significantly more likely to ride a motorcycle without a helmet or 20 mph above the posted speed limit in next 6 months. Table 4 shows the various attractions of riding a motorcycle by respondents age. The most popular attraction respondents indicated was the thrill of riding and the freedom of the open road (46.3%). The next most indicated attraction was that motorcycles offer an inexpensive means of transportation (23.1%). A one way ANOVA test showed that there is no statistically significant difference regarding the attraction of riding a motorcycle between gender group, but there is a statistically significant difference by age (F=2.278, df=5, p=0.046). Thus, it appears that respondents attraction to riding motorcycles varies by age. While the attraction of thrill and freedom remains fairly constant across age groups, wanting to ride with friends and riding as an inexpensive means of transportation vary considerably. Younger respondents were more likely to indicate they were attracted to start riding as an inexpensive means of transportation while older respondents were more likely to indicate they want to ride with friends. These differences can have important indications when analyzed in the context of other motorcycle related data, such as crash data. TABLE 4 Attraction to Riding a Motorcycle by Age What attracts you to riding a motorcycle? or older Total I grew-up in a motorcycle family 10.7% 9.1% 15.5% 12.8% 5.1% 12.5% 11.3% I want to ride with friends 5.0% 17.4% 17.5% 21.3% 38.5% 12.5% 16.7% It is an inexpensive means of transportation The social image that riding presents to others The thrill of riding and the freedom of the open road that it offers Total (Sample Size) 36.4% 22.3% 18.6% 17.0% 7.7% 37.5% 23.1% 1.7% 4.1% 4.1% 1.1% 2.6% 0.0% 2.7% 46.3% 47.1% 44.3% 47.9% 46.2% 37.5% 46.3% 100.0% (121) 100.0% (121) 100.0% (97) 100.0% (94) 100.0% (39) 100.0% (8) 100.0% (480)

7 Lee at al The survey result showed that a large majority (75%) of riders answered that they are very likely or somewhat likely to ride a motorcycle with a group of other riders in the next 6 months. Additionally, 49 percent of riders plan to ride a motorcycle with a passenger in the next 6 months. Overall, 40 percent of riders are likely to ride with a group and with a passenger over the next 6 months. This relates to the fact that many respondents answered that they were attracted to riding because they wanted to join their friends in riding and that their friends were most influential in their decision to begin riding. Overall, the evaluation of training was very positive. As it can be seen in Table 5, it is notable that the majority of respondents, regardless of riding experience prior to training course, indicated that they would recommend the course to an experienced motorcyclist. TABLE 5 Would you recommend the MSF Basic Rider Course (BRC) to an experienced motorcycle rider? (Sample Size) Riding Experience Prior to Training Course Yes No (blank) Grand Total Very experienced 93% 8% 100% (80) Somewhat experienced 83% 16% 1% 100% (170) Somewhat inexperienced 96% 4% 100% (90) Very inexperienced (I had never driven a motorcycle prior to the course) 90% 8% 2% 100% (156) FLORIDA MOTORCYCLIST SURVEY This survey was designed to gather information from Florida motorcyclists regarding their riding experience, preferences, and behaviors. The survey was conducted using a mixed mode sampling design, including a web based survey and a toll free phone survey. A survey hotline was included in the design to provide an alternative means to take the survey. Potential respondents were contacted to participate in July 2012 with an invitation to take the survey via the following methods: 1. Address Based Sampling (ABS): Using a motorcycle registration database obtained from the Florida DHSMV, a random sample of addresses were selected and sent an invitation letter to complete the survey online (web link) or by telephone interview via the toll-free hotline. 2. Addresses: A database was obtained from the Florida DHSMV that contained e- mail addresses of registered Florida motorcycle riders. A random sample of these addresses was selected and sent an invitation to take the survey. In total, 1,340 complete responses were obtained. A total of 14,818 invitation letters were mailed out and 313 responses were obtained from the address-based sampling method. A total of 9,011 invitations were sent out and 1,027 responses were obtained from the address sampling method. This sample size is sufficient to meet a +/- 2.7 percent margin of error at the 95 percent level of confidence based on the total number of endorsed motorcycle riders in Florida as of July 2012 (1,080,655). Unfortunately, detailed socioeconomic data is not available

8 Lee at al for the general riding population of motorcyclists in Florida. Thus, there is not a measure for how representative the data is of the motorcyclist population. A total of 74.3 percent of respondents said that they have a motorcycle and ride regularly, while 15.1 percent of respondents said that they have a motorcycle but do not ride a motorcycle regularly. More than half of respondents (53.9%) indicated that they have been riding more than 20 years, while 16.2 percent of respondents have been riding less than five years. The majority of respondents (61.5%) stated that they rode 1,000 to 5,000 miles or 5,001 to 10,000 miles in past 12 months. They typically rode more than once per week or at least once per week. Savolainen and Mannering conducted a survey of Indiana motorcyclists in 2005 and found that 71 percent of respondents rode 1,000 to 5,000 or 5,001 to 10,000 miles in a typical year (14). It is important to understand how often and how far motorcyclists ride to gauge their experiences because, unlike automobiles, their purpose is often for recreation. In general, this causes their riding patterns to be irregular and more concentrated on the weekends. Respondents were asked about their formal motorcycle training experience. Table 6 presents a cross tabulation of respondents completion of formal motorcycle training when endorsed by completion of formal motorcycle training after endorsement. Two thirds of riders (65.2%) completed formal training when they obtained their motorcycle endorsement. In addition, nearly 20 percent of riders reported that they received formal training when they obtained their endorsement and that they also attended at least one additional formal training course after endorsement. However, 28.2 percent of riders reported that they had never attended any formal training, during endorsement nor after endorsement. This indicates that around one fourth of Florida motorcycle riders have never had any formal training. Savolainen and Mannering s survey of Indiana motorcyclists found that 60 percent of respondents had completed the MSF BRC and 12 percent of respondents had completed the MSF Experienced Rider Course (ERC) (14). It is noted that at the time of their survey, training was not required in Indiana to obtain a motorcycle endorsement. TABLE 6 Formal Training when Endorsed and After Endorsement Did you complete formal motorcycle training, such as the Motorcycle Safety Foundation s Basic Rider Course, in order to obtain your motorcycle endorsement? / Have you attended any formal motorcycle training AFTER your endorsement? Formal training No formal training after after endorsement endorsement Total Formal training when endorsed 18.4% 46.7% 65.2% No formal training when endorsed 6.7% 28.2% 34.8% Total 25.1% 74.9% 100.0% Since the law change in Florida requiring formal training for a motorcycle endorsement was not put into effect until 2008, the data was analyzed based on the year the respondent indicated they received their endorsement. Table 7 shows that riders who obtained their endorsement after the 2008 law change have different training experiences than riders who obtained their endorsement before The law change has significantly reduced the number of riders in the state without formal motorcycle training.

9 Lee at al TABLE 7 Trained Motorcyclists before/after 2008 Mandatory Training Law in Florida 1. formally trained when endorsed 2. attended formal training after endorsement 1:Yes-2:Yes 1:Yes-2:No 1:No-2:Yes 1:No-2:No Before 2008 (n=1,076) 20.8% 38.4% 8.2% 32.6% After 2008 (n=235) 8.1% 86.4% 0.0% 5.5% The training experience of respondents was also examined by motorcycle type. In general, training experience is similar among all motorcycle types. However, there are some slight differences worth noting. Touring riders are most likely to have attended additional training after their endorsement. Standard riders have the largest population of untrained motorcycle riders (33.3%), followed by sport touring riders (32.6%). Despite cruiser and sport bike riders differences, they have the most similar training experiences. Respondents were asked if they would consider attending a training course for experienced riders. These courses are offered by many motorcycle training schools. They are offered to experienced riders to hone their skills and fine-tune the mental skills needed for survival in traffic. These courses also typically cover protective gear, rider responsibility, motorcycle inspection and care, and the effects of alcohol and other drugs on riding. The majority of respondents (55.7%) indicated that they would consider attending a course for experienced riders within the next 12 months. Respondents who said they would not consider taking a course indicated several reasons. Many respondents felt that they would not learn much (44.8%). Other reasons for not taking a training course were busy schedules (19.9%) and cost of the course (13.9%). Savolainen and Mannering s survey asked respondents why they had not taken a training course and reasons cited included no need (47%), time (34%), and cost (4%) (14). Survey participants were asked to do a self-assessment of their skills and behavior on the following eight questions compared to other motorcycle riders of the same age and gender. Table 8 summarizes the average score by formal training experience during and after motorcycle endorsement and the result of an ANOVA test. The ANOVA shows that there is a statistically significant difference on the self-assessment results among motorcyclists with different training experiences. Specifically, the results are notable for the following items that are related to the attitudes of motorcyclists: (1) wearing a safety helmet, (2) wearing proper protective motorcycle clothing, (3) wearing brightly-colored clothing and reflective material, and (4) continuously learning and improving your riding techniques. While previous studies on the effectiveness of motorcycle training using crash data have produced mixed results (14), this test shows that there is a statistically significant difference in the self-assessment of skills and behavior among the groups of motorcyclists with or without formal training.

10 Lee at al Table 8 Self-assessment on Riding Skills and Behavior Compared to Peer Riders Questions (5: I am much better, 4: I am better, 3: I am about the same, 2: I am worse, and 1: I am much worse) 1. Controlling the motorcycle (i.e. vehicle control skills) 2. Anticipating what other road users are going to do Formal Training when endorsed Formal Training after endorsement (Sample Size) YES-YES (242) YES-NO (617) NO-YES (88) NO-NO (372) ANOVA F: df:3 p: F: df:3 p:0.000 F: df:3 p: F: df:3 p: F: df:3 p: F: Wearing a safety helmet Wearing proper protective motorcycle clothing 5. Wearing brightly-colored clothing and reflective material 6. Staying sober while riding a motorcycle 7. Checking and maintaining your motorcycle to ensure that it is safe operating order 8. Continuously learning and improving your riding techniques Average df:3 p:0.000 F: df:3 p:0.000 F: df:3 p:0.000 Conspicuity is an important issue in motorcycle safety. Motorcycles are often involved in the look but didn t see type of crashes (13). According to the survey, 38.1 percent of respondents currently have no gear with high visibility or reflective properties and 48.4 percent of respondents have not made any modifications to their motorcycle to make it more visible. The percentage of respondents in this study reporting they have reflective gear (61.9%) is higher than that found in Savolainen and Mannering s survey, which reported 34 percent of respondents typically wear reflective clothing/equipment (14). It is interesting to note that wearing brightlycolored clothing and reflective material received the lowest average score in the self-assessment by motorcyclists. Motorcycles are more than just a mode of transportation; they are a unique sub-culture and lifestyle for many (16). Social motorcyclist organizations exist to provide riders with camaraderie, host events, and share general motorcycling knowledge. Nearly thirty percent of respondents (26.8%) indicated that they are a member of a riding group. Overall, the riding group activity most frequently partaken in was group riding. Nearly 40 percent of respondents (37.2%) who are members of riding groups indicated that they participate in group riding once per week. Social activities were another popular riding group activity, with 26.5 percent of respondents indicating they do social activities with their riding group once per week. On the other hand, safety education and practicing and/or discussing riding techniques were practiced by riding groups much less frequently. More than one third of respondents (34.8%) stated that their riding group engaged in safety education once per year or less. Two significant motorcycle-related pieces of legislation that have been passed in Florida during the past decade are the repeal of universal helmet law (2000) and mandatory training law (2008). The survey results showed that the majority of motorcyclists support the mandatory training law, regardless of motorcycle type, age, gender, and riding experience. However, motorcyclists have mixed opinions toward the reinstatement of a universal helmet law and

11 Lee at al opinions do not appear to be divided by motorcycle type. According to the Pearson s chi-square test, the position towards the reinstatement of the universal helmet law was found to be independent of age (p=0.141, X 2 =17.239, df=12) too. A two-step cluster analysis was conducted to understand the use of safety helmets and respondents attitudes toward the reinstatement of a universal helmet law in Florida. The twostep clustering method can handle mixed type attributes and the number of clusters can also be automatically determined. First, it builds small sub-clusters and recursively merges them until one cluster remains containing all records. The log-likelihood distance measure is adopted for both continuous and categorical variables (29). The distance D(j,s) between two clusters j and s, is defined as the decrease in log-likelihood due to the merging of two clusters: Where,, 1 2 log Where : the total number of continuous variables : the total number of categorical variables used : the number of levels for the k th categorical variable : the number of observations in cluster j : the variance of the k th continuous variable in the original data set : is the variance of the k th continuous variable in cluster j : is the number of observations in cluster j whose k th categorical variable takes the l th level As can be seen in Table 9, a two-step cluster analysis produced six different clusters based on three different input variables. A popular measure to show the quality of clustering is the silhouette coefficient, which is a measure of both cohesion and separation. The model has an average silhouette equal to 0.6 and the most important predictor is the use of a helmet, followed by motorcycle crash experience. Cluster 1, Cluster 2, and Cluster 5 never ride a motorcycle without a helmet and those motorcyclists also have a positive position towards the reinstatement of a universal helmet law. They also stated that they think they are doing a better job of wearing a safety helmet compared to other riders of the same age and gender. All motorcyclists in Cluster 4 and the majority of motorcyclists in Cluster 6 do not wear a helmet and they are against the reinstatement of a universal helmet law in Florida. Particularly interesting is the majority of Cluster 6 has been involved in at least one motorcycle crash that incurred a medical treatment, and yet they are still against the idea of wearing a safety helmet. More than 80% of Cluster 6 has been riding a motorcycle more than 20 years and typically ride more than once per week. It is also noted that the proportion of respondents who identified themselves as risk acceptors (as opposed to a risk avoider) is high in Cluster 6 (50%) compared to the survey average (36%). The majority of Cluster 3 is against the reinstatement of a universal helmet law in Florida; however, they indicated that they usually wear a safety helmet. Overall, the analysis showed that the actual use of helmet and position toward the universal helmet law are highly associated, except in Cluster 3.

12 Lee at al Table 9 Result of the Two-step Cluster Analysis Two-step Cluster Number Cluster Size Inputs: Ride a motorcycle without a helmet (input 1) Endorsement with formal training (input 2) Have you ever been involved in a motorcycle crash that incurred a medical treatment of yourself? (input 3) Evaluation Fields Two-step Cluster Number What is your position towards the reinstatement of a universal helmet law in Florida? (*Shaded cells show the majority) Strongly support 49% 39% 14% 2% 41% 9% Support 23% 21% 17% 12% 27% 6% Oppose 17% 26% 36% 25% 20% 27% Strongly oppose 11% 14% 33% 61% 12% 58% Wearing a safety helmet: In your opinion, how do you do compared to other riders of your age and gender? (5: I am much better, 4: I am better, 3: I am about the same, 2: I am worse, and 1: I am much worse) I am much better 60% 66% 25% 2% 68% 12% I am better 27% 20% 31% 2% 20% 12% I am about the same 12% 10% 33% 30% 10% 35% I am worse 0% 2% 8% 34% 1% 21% I am much worse 0% 2% 2% 31% 1% 19% Average Score

13 Lee at al DISCUSSION The study adopted two different motorcyclist surveys. One survey was conducted with motorcyclists who just completed a Basic Rider Course (BRC) to obtain motorcycle endorsement in Florida. The other survey was conducted with randomly selected motorcyclists in Florida based on motorcycle registration information. Both surveys revealed many interesting aspects of motorcyclist s attitudes and behaviors. The summary of findings is as follows: In general, one third of trainees who were in FRTP schools to obtain a motorcycle endorsement are existing motorcyclists. A significant percentage of motorcyclists in Florida are riding without a valid endorsement. This is evidenced by the Florida Rider Training Survey, in which 26 percent of respondents indicated they had been riding their motorcycle prior to the course and were taking the course in order to obtain their endorsement. In addition, 3.2 percent of respondents took the course to fulfill a court order. This finding matches the percent of motorcyclists involved in crashes in Florida without a valid motorcycle endorsement, which is typically between 25% - 30%. The majority of respondents are very satisfied with the quality of training at FRTP schools; however, the level of comfort riding a motorcycle in traffic after completing the course varies. More than 95 percent of respondents stated that the training course was excellent or good. However, the average level of comfort riding a motorcycle in traffic upon the completion of the course was 5 on a scale of 1 to 7 (1: very uncomfortable 7: very comfortable) and it was a slightly lower for the group who never rode a motorcycle prior to the training. It seemed that there was a difference in the average level of comfort by gender but it was learned that this is primary due to the fact that more male riders tend to have riding experience prior to taking a training course. It is also notable that there is no relationship between the level of comfort and engine size of motorcycle that a rider owns or plans to own. Although a larger engine size does not necessary mean that it would require more skills and experiences to control, it would be worth checking if newly trained and endorsed motorcyclists are getting adequate guidance in the purchase of their motorcycle. Motorcyclists start riding for a variety of reasons but more young people use a motorcycle as an inexpensive means of transportation. On the Florida Rider Training Survey, a large percentage of respondents (46.3%) indicated they were attracted to the thrill and the freedom of the open road that it offers. This attraction was fairly consistent across all age groups, followed by using an inexpensive means of transportation (23.1%). This proportion actually increased for younger riders. The respondents in the 18 to 24 age group reported that their primary attraction to riding is that motorcycles offer an inexpensive means of transportation (34.6%). In contrast, only 7.7 percent of respondents age 55 to 64 were attracted to this specific aspect of riding. The result is quite different from the finding from the Florida Motorcyclist Survey which shows that only 10 percent of motorcyclists were attracted to start riding a motorcycle because it is an inexpensive means of transportation. It is possible that this is a new trend for the younger generation to be much more inclined to select a motorcycle as a means of transportation due to high gas prices.

14 Lee at al The Florida Motorcyclist Survey revealed that 28.2 percent of respondents have never had formal motorcycle training and that training experience is related to motorcyclist attitude. Training experience of respondents was examined by whether they obtained their endorsement pre- or post- 2008, since the law change that mandated training in order to obtain a motorcycle endorsement was not put into effect until Pre- and post analysis revealed that 32.6 percent of respondents who obtained their endorsement before 2008 had no formal training, whereas only 5.5 percent of respondents after 2008 had no formal training. While the post-2008 percentage of respondents without formal training should ideally be zero, it could be affected by out of state endorsement transfers. However, it is expected that the proportion of untrained motorcyclists will be decreasing continuously. The motorcyclists with training experience reported that they are doing a better job of using a safety helmet, wearing proper protective motorcycle clothing, wearing brightly-colored clothing and reflective materials, and continuously educating/improving their riding skills. It was notable that 92.5 percent of very experienced riders who attended a Basic Rider Course (BRC) to obtain an endorsement indicated that they would recommend the same course to experienced riders, while the Florida motorcyclist survey showed that only 65 percent of existing riders would consider attending a training course in the next 12 months. As for the group of riders who never attended any training but have a valid motorcycle endorsement, the proportion is even lower. Only 45 percent of the respondents said they would consider it. As for people who are not willing to take an experienced course, many of them felt that they would not learn much (44.8%); other reasons were busy schedules (19.9%) and cost of the course (13.9%). Apparently, there is a gap that needs to be addressed regarding the value of being trained as an existingmotorcycle rider. It would be a very critical piece of the puzzle to improve motorcycle safety and more focused efforts should be made to encourage existing motorcyclists to take a training course. Nearly thirty percent of Florida Motorcyclist Survey respondents (26.8%) were members of a riding group. In general, the activities respondents indicated their groups participate in most frequently are group riding and social events. It appears that safety education and practicing and/or discussing riding techniques are not regular activities for many riding group members. The majority of motorcyclists unanimously support the mandatory training law, regardless of motorcycle type, age, gender, and riding experience. However, motorcyclists have mixed opinions toward the reinstatement of a universal helmet law in Florida. Survey results showed that almost all motorcyclists strongly support the mandatory training law. As for helmet usage, although the use of helmet is recognized as a very effective measure to reduce the level of injury from motorcycle crashes in much of the literature and a universal helmet law would be an extremely effective tool for increasing the use of helmets, survey respondents expressed a very divided opinion to the reinstatement of a universal helmet law in Florida. A two-step cluster analysis found that the use of a helmet and the position toward a universal helmet law are closely related, but there are riders who are against a universal helmet law but do wear a helmet. It may be desirable that the discussion on the need of a universal helmet law and the value of a safety helmet be separated. More

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