Motorcycle Crashes: Recent Changes in Michigan Recent Changes in Michigan Lidia P. Kostyniuk, Ph.D., P.E. Michigan Traffic Safety Summit 2007

Background – Changes in the US motorcycle crash picture n Motorcycle registrations + 51% ( ) n Injuries in motorcycle crashes +64% ( ) n Deaths in motorcycle crashes +115% ( ) n Motorcycle fatalities as % of all vehicle-crash fatalities o 5% in 1997 o 10% in 2005 n Motorcyclists age 40+ as % of all motorcyclists killed o 24% in 1995 o 47% in 2005

Examine recent changes in motorcycle crash experience in Michigan – baby boomer effects n Registrations and motorcycle endorsements n Crashes and crash rates n Deaths and injuries n Hazardous actions n Drinking n Helmet use n Summary Data – Michigan crash data files, Michigan vehicle registration and licensing records

Motorcycle registrations and license endorsements

Motorcycle endorsements by age

Motorcycle crashes

Crashes by motorcyclist age

Distribution of crash severity, 2005 N =3,504 N = 350,838

Persons injured in motorcycle crashes

Motorcyclists injured in crash by age

Persons killed in motorcycle crashes

Motorcyclist fatalities by age

Motorcycle crash rates

Crashes/1000 licensed motorcyclists by age

Proportion of crash-involved motorcyclists with motorcycle endorsement in 2005 Age GroupWith motorcycle endorsement on driver’s license < 1934% % % % 65+72% All62%

Single and multi-vehicle crashes n About half motorcycle crashes are single vehicle crashes n Little difference by month, day of week, weather, road type, road condition n More single vehicle crashes at night n Slightly more single vehicle crashes involve drinking driver n Proportions of drivers over age 45+ involved in single and in multi-vehicle crashes are almost the same.

Hazardous actions, 2005 Speed Clear Distance None Reckless/ Careless Fail to Yield

Motorcycle hazardous actions Single vehicle crashes by motorcyclist age SpeedClear Distance None Reckless/ Careless Fail to Yield

Motorcycle hazardous actions 2005 Multi vehicle crashes by motorcyclist age SpeedClear Distance None Reckless/ Careless Fail to Yield

Citations for hazardous action in motorcycle crash, 2005

Had Been Drinking (HBD) motorcycle crashes n Proportion of all motorcycle crashes o 1997 – 10% o 2005 – 7% n Proportion of all motorcycle fatalities o 1997 – 47% o 2005 – 29% n Proportion of all motorcycle injuries o 1997 – 14% o 2005 – 7%

Number of HBD motorcycle crashes

HBD crashes by motorcyclist age

Percent of age group’s motorcycle crashes that involved drinking

Helmet use n Helmet use rate o 94% in 1997 o 98% in 2005 n 21% of fatalities not helmeted in 2005 n Severity in crashes o with helmet 22-25% killed or severely injured o without helmet 27-52% killed or severely injured

Summary - Michigan n Motorcycles and motorcyclists, o +73% registrations o +13% in motorcycle endorsements n Crashes, o +38% increase in crashes o +91% increase in fatalities o +36% increase in injuries o 4%  11% of all vehicle-crash fatalities n Older (age 45+) motorcyclists o Licenses - 44% in 1997  64% in 2005 o Deaths - 14% in 2001  41% in 2005 o Lower crash rate o More likely to have mc endorsement o Fewer hazardous actions o Less likely to speed, less likely to drive recklessly o Fewer citations o Less likely to be in HBD crash n Helmet use is high – lower severity in crashes with helmet

Questions n Who is the older motorcyclist? o Just younger motorcyclists getting older? o Returning to motorcycling? o New to motorcycling? n What are the skill levels of older motorcyclists? n How does ability to handle motorcycle change with age? n How does risk of injury and death, given a crash, change with age? n Data needs o Better estimates of number of motorcyclists (including unlicensed) o Better estimates of exposure – motorcycle VMT o Use of different types and sizes of motorcycles