The Department for Transport commissioned TRL to compare the findings of two motorcycle accident studies: The European Motorcycle Accident In-Depth Study (MAIDS) and the UK On The Spot (OTS) study. Both studies involved the collection of ‘on-the-spot’ accident data, visiting the scene of an accident soon after it had happened to retrieve unstable scene factors (e.g. temporary highway factors, weather) and witness statements. The MAIDS study involved collection of data from five European countries: France, Spain, Germany, Italy and The Netherlands. The data were collected using the OECD common methodology designed for two-wheeled motor vehicle accident investigation. The OTS data were collected from two areas of England: the Thames Valley and South Nottinghamshire. OTS and MAIDS protocols and databases were compared against one another. In general, the data collected for MAIDS have a greater level of detail. Some similarities were discovered in the accident populations of OTS and MAIDS data including major collision partner and some causation factors. There are also considerable differences in the databases including the wearing of protective equipment, engine sizes and motorcyclist injuries. (Author/publisher)
Abstract