Powered two wheelers (PTWs) form an integral part of the European transport infrastructure. Their relatively small size and low cost make them a viable solution for congested European roadways. However, little detailed information is known about the casualties and accidents associated with PTWs in Europe. With the support of the European Commission and the Association of European Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM) an extensive motorcycle accident in-depth study was conducted in five countries. The objective was to gather a comprehensive and representative accident database that could be used to improve motorcycle safety. A common methodology for on-scene in-depth motorcycle accident investigations developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) was used by all five research groups in order to maintain consistency in the data collected in each region. This study represented the first application of the common methodology. A total of 921 accidents were collected. Each accident was investigated in detail, resulting in approximately 2000 variables for each accident. The investigation included a full reconstruction of the accident, including human, environment and vehicle factors, and an identification of all accident cause factors. Accident data for each accident were merged into a database for each sampling region to form an aggregate database which was representative of Western Europe. To identify risk factors and countermeasures, this data was compared to a sample of non-involved motorcycle riders within the same sampling region using an exposure data collection methodology developed specifically for this study. The methodology involved conducting detailed interviews of motorcycle riders that were refueling their motorcycles at a petrol station within the sampling region. A total of 923 rider interviews were conducted as part of this study. Statistical data analysis provided identification of motorcycle accident risk factors by comparing the accident data to the petrol station exposure data. The final report has been divided into two summary reports. The first summary report contains detailed information regarding the methodology and the data collection process. The second summary report contains the most important data trends along with conclusions and recommended countermeasures. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting