Moped definitions and conditions of use vary widely across the world. This paper follows reports on two surveys of the 1979 Australian user profiles. A pilot survey in Western Australia and Victoria elicited 110 usable responses in western Australia, half of which were from 16 year olds, who had only just been permitted to ride mopeds and 37 from Victoria. The main survey was carried out in south Australia and was administered by the registrar of motor vehicles to the whole population of 405 registered 'moped' and under-50 ml motorcycle owners, eliciting 235 usable responses, 176 positively identified as referring to mopeds complying with the 1980 Australian Transport Advisory Council definition of mopeds. The average age of the 18+ year age group of moped owners in the three states was 37 in WA, 40 in VIC, and 46 in SA; the effects of moped ownership on the use of other modes were also sought in both pilot and main surveys. Accident and exposure data were also obtained in south Australia for even the most minor incidents and gave the low reportable (casualty treatment criterion) accident rates of 30 per 10,000 vehicles per year and 1 per 1,000,000 km. : Figures which should at this stage be treated with considerable caution. The results are used to obtain an indication of the relative contribution of increased and earlier access to motorised transport for 16 year olds, and the intrinsic attraction of mopeds when cars, mopeds, and motorcycles are all accessible at 16 (a). The isbn of the microfiche version is 0 86910 194 3.
Abstract