Using Data to Improve Motorcycle Safety Maryland Motorcycle Safety Committee I would like to thank the sponsors of this conference for the opportunity to present this study. I would like to acknowledge my colleagues read names for their efforts with this project.

VMT In 2002 5,004,682 registered motorcycles 9,552,414,605 vehicle miles traveled 1,908 miles traveled per registered motorcycle Down from 1,965 in 2001

Overview National Perspective State of the state Beyond helmets

Objectives Prevent motorcycle crashes Mitigate rider injury Provide appropriate response and treatment

Nationally In 2002… 3,244 fatalities (up 35% since 1992) 65,000 injuries (relatively unchanged since 1992)

Motorcyclists Represent 1% of all motor vehicles Involved in 5% of fatal motor vehicle collisions Nearly 20 times more likely to be injured or die in a motor vehicle collision than occupants of passenger cars

What makes motorcycle crashes special??? 80% result in injury or death 20% for passenger cars Lack of crashworthiness and occupant protection systems Lower visibility Inherent operational differences

Licensing One out of four motorcycle operators in 2002 had an invalid license

Increasing popularity New sales have almost doubled since ’97 Corresponding increase in vehicle miles traveled

Motorcycle Fatalities and Injuries (per 100,000 registered vehicles)

Motorcycle Fatalities and Injuries (per 100 million VMT)

Fatalities by age group

Also increasing… Owner age Mean engine displacement 15% over 40 in 1980 44% over 40 in 1998 Mean engine displacement 769 cc in 1990 959 cc in 2001

Helmet Law repeals before and after Kentucky +58% Arkansas +29% Louisiana +108% Texas +37% Increase in fatalities comparing two years before and after repeal At the same time, US motorcycle fatalities increased 50%, registrations increased by 12% and miles traveled increased by 5.6% Florida +42%

State of the state

Route Type Total Crashes Percent Crashes Interstate 80 6.4 US 102 8.1 Figure 5h – Motorcycle Crash Route Type Route Type Total Crashes Percent Crashes Interstate 80 6.4 US 102 8.1 State (MD) 424 33.7 County 404 32.1 Municipal 58 4.6 Government 0.0 Service Other Public 16 1.3 Balt City 111 8.8 Unknown 63 5.0 Total 1,258 100.0

Injury Severity

Hospital Length of Stay and Charge Percentile Days of Hospital Stay (Percentile) Hospital Charges Mechanism Number 25th Median 75th Driver 3,684 1 4 3,097 4,266 9,893 Passenger 1,458 2 3,010 4,330 10,195 Motorcyclist 574 5 3,678 7,529 17,577 Pedal Cyclist 106 3 2,860 4,728 11,331 Pedestrian 724 3,545 6,890 16,887 Unspecified 250 3,134 5,852 13,513 Total 6,796 3,159 4,552 11,615

One set of numbers… The number of motorcycle crashes increased from 966 to 1,258 (24%) between 1998 and 2002

Two stories… The crash rate (per 10,000 registered motorcycles) decreased from 192 to 175 (9%) between 1998 and 2002.

Still… Motorcycle fatalities increased by 65% between 1998 and 2002 (34 to 52) Crash and fatality rate per licensed operator increased by 22% and 44% respectively

More than just helmets Inter-relating factors Licensing Motorcycle Age Fault Training

For example… Only 40% MC operators in a crash were reported to have a motorcycle endorsement Those unlicensed were more likely to be found at fault

For example… Divide motorcycles into two groups with similar characteristics HD vs all others (Honda, Suzuki, etc) Crash involved HD operators more likely to have a motorcycle endorsement HD operators more likely to be older

MD Motorcycle Safety Committee Law Enforcement Helmets collected as evidence MVA Rider Safety Training Course Increase rider training Rider Interviews Investigating crash circumstances Rider behaviors and attitudes The Maryland Motorcycle Safety committee has been formed to address the issues associated with the increase in fatalities. The committee comprises NHTSA, SHA, MVA, police, National Study Center and other agency. To date, the following programs are under way. To collect helmets as evidence as opposed to debris. Increase rider training Investigate crash circumstances On a national level, collect data on rider behaviors and attitudes

Investigating the role of motorcycle training classes University of Alabama study showed a correlation between lower mortality rates and states that require A skill tests for motorcycle permit applicants Require longer duration for permits Restrictions on drivers with permits Maryland’s own in-state evaluation NHTSA Motorcycle Safety Program

Motorcycle Safety Human Factors Vehicle Role Environmental Conditions Crash Prevention (Pre-Crash) -Rider education/licensing -Impaired riding -Motorist Awareness -Safety Programs -Brakes, Tires, controls -Lighting/visibility -Compliance testing -Roadway design, construction, operations -Roadway maintenance Injury Mitigation (Crash) -Use of protective gear -Occupant protection Roadside design, construction Emergency Response (Post-crash) -Automatic crash notification -EMS education -Bystander care -Law Enforcement -Data collection and analysis

Questions???