The Numbers Game
THE NUMBERS GAME
ROUNDUP
A number of federally-funded motorcycle accident studies have been completed recently and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration took the occasion to blitz the media and politicians with a statistical avalanche. Of prime concern to NHTSA is the repeal of helmet laws in many states since the Secretary of Transportation lost the power to withhold federal highway funds from states which didn’t adopt mandatory helmet use laws. NHTSA fought for the helmet laws and is fighting for the return of helmet laws.
After the announcement of the studies, different conclusions were presented by different people. Naturally Joan Claybrook, administratrix of NHTSA, said the reports support helmet laws. Ed Youngblood, director of government relations for the American Motorcyclist Association, said “We feel the emphasis should be on measures for accident prevention. While injury and fatality reduction remain important goals, w;e see a need for a stronger emphasis on reduction of accidents, especially within the high percentage caused by motorists who are not looking out for motorcycles.”
Beneath self-serving political rhetoric there may be some useful information. Four of the federally-funded studies, those done in Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and South Dakota, compared accident and injury rates for motorcyclists before and after helmet laws were repealed. A fifth study was more complete. Research teams from the University of Southern California under the direction of Dr. Harry Hurt analyzed nearly 900 motorcycle accidents occurring in the Los Angeles area.
Information about the accident, conditions at the time of the accident, the rider, the motorcycle and the background of the rider wras collected. Injuries were broken dow n according to the degree of severity. Results have so far been analyzed according to whether a rider was wearing a helmet or not, plus some conclusions on the size of motorcycle and conspicuity of the rider have been made. Still coming are exposure data, that is, comparisons with motorcyclists in the area not involved in accidents. Until the exposure data has been collected, due by the fall of 1979, valid conclusions on many points will be difficult to make. But the information is intriguing.
For instance, not many motorcyclists get rear-ended. Initial contact points of the involved motorcycles showed 30 percent of the collisions involved the front of the motorcycle, 36 percent of the motorcycles collided on the left side, 31 percent collided first on the right and only 3 percent collided at the rear.
The difference between left and right side collisions is explained by the types of accidents. The most prevalent accident occurred when a car made a lefthand turn in front of an oncoming motorcyclist. According to the study, 45 percent of all the motorcycle accidents w^ere due to cars turning left in front of motorcycles. That accounts for the greater number of impacts on the left side than the right side and for many of the head-on impacts. A total of 51 percent of all motorcycle accidents investigated were caused by other vehicles violating the motorcycle’s right of way.
Another 41 percent of the motorcycle accidents were attributed to rider error. Only 3 percent of the accidents were blamed on mechanical problems, most of> those coming from flat tires. Although the exposure figures aren't available yet, the studv said nearly half of the motorcycles involved in multi-vehicle accidents were rated hard to see. Not known yet are how many motorcyclists not involved in accidents are rated hard to see.
Earlier surveys indicate about half the motorcyclists in Southern California wear helmets, yet 60 percent of the accidentinvolved motorcyclists in the survey were not wearing a helmet. The unhelmeted riders accounted for 67 percent of the total injuries and 81 percent of the head and neck injuries. Head and neck injuries accounted for 17.6 percent of all injuries. The exact number of fatal accidents in the survey isn't clear from the Department of Transportation reports. One DOT report says the USC survey recorded 54 fatalities, yet the summary of the report from the same department only shows 27 motorcycle fatalities.
Among the findings of the survey were the following:
Manx motorcyclists overbrake with the rear brake and underbrake with the front brake. Improper evasive action was taken by 65 percent of the cyclists.
Almost 12 percent of the motorcycle riders had been drinking prior to the accident. but 53 percent of the fatalities had alcohol present in their blood.
Although other studies show females to comprise only 2 percent of the motorcyclists in the area. 3.8 percent of the accident sample were female.
One-third of the accidents involved motorcycles with engines of at least 750cc, but one-half of the fatal accidents involved 750 or larger bikes.
Only 55 percent of the motorcyclists had the required motorcycle endorsement on a valid driver's license, and 12 percent of the motorcyclists had no license.
The overall motorcycle riding experience of the cyclists was an average of three xears. but over half the cyclists had less than six months experience riding the motorcycle involved in the accident.
About 8 percent of the riders had some formal motorcycle rider training, the rest were either self-taught or had informal instructions from friends.
Helmets caused only four minor injuries and in each of those instances prevented more serious injuries. None of the helmet-wearing riders found their helmets to lead to an accident.
Onlv 2.2 percent of the helmeted riders received fatal injuries, while 3.5 percent of the non-helmeted riders died. There was only one cyclist with a helmet who died of head injuries; there were 15 non-helmeted cyclists dying of head injuries.
The studv concluded that “dramatic gains in motorcycle safety can be achieved if motorcyclists wear helmets and cyclists and their motorcycles are made as conspicuous as possible.''
