AASHTO Strategic Plan: Implications for Michigan

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Motorcycle Crashes
Lidia P. Kostyniuk, Ph.D., P.E. University of
Michigan Transportation Research
institute Michigan Traffic Safety Summit April
28, 2004
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Background

• 80 of motorcycle crashes result in death or
  injury
• Between 1997 and 2001 in U.S.
• 26 increase in motorcycles
• 51 increase in motorcyclist deaths
• In 2002
• 2.2 of U.S. vehicles were motorcycles
• 7.6 of U.S. traffic fatalities involved
  motorcycles
• Increase in motorcycles expected to continue

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Michigan Motorcycle Registrations and License
Endorsements
Registrations 45 Endorsements 8
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Crashes involving motorcyclesMichigan, 1997-2002
20 increase from 1997 But, 7 decrease in all
crashes from 1997
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Number of persons killed in crashes involving
motorcycles
28 increase from 1997, But 12 decrease in all
traffic fatalities
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Number of persons injured in crashes involving
motorcycles
17 increase from 1997, But 18 decrease in all
traffic injuries
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Crash-involved motorcyclists by age
Age 45-64 - 87 increase
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Motorcycle Crash Rates
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Crash-involved motorcyclists by license
55-56 legally licensed for motorcycle 10 no
drivers license of any type
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Who was not licensed to drive motorcycle in 2002
Crash-involved Group No endorsement on drivers license No drivers license
lt 19 23 54
19-29 49 4
30-44 35 5
45-64 27 3
65 19 2
Men 34 8
Women 35 10
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Most motorcycle crashes

• Dry road (89-94)
• Good weather (73-81)
• Daylight (68-71)
• Peak Months June, July, August
• Peak days Saturday, Sunday
• Peak hours 3-6 pm

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Single and multi-vehicle crashes

• About half motorcycle crashes are single vehicle
  crashes
• No difference by month, day of week, weather,
  road type, road condition
• More single vehicle crashes at night
• Slightly more single vehicle crashes involve
  drinking driver

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Hazardous Actions, 2002
Careless

2002 Citations 13 of motorcyclists, 30 of
other drivers
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Number of Had-been-drinking crashes (motorcyclist
drinking)
8-10 of all motorcycle crashes 4 decrease from
1997
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HBD Motorcycle Crashes

• Fatalities
• 1997 30 deaths (47 of mc fatalities )
• 2002 24 deaths (29)
• 20 decrease
• Injuries
• 1997 302 injuries (14)
• 2002 270 injuries (10)
• 11 decrease

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BAC levels of tested fatal-crash involved
motorcyclists
64-84 of fatal-crash involved motorcyclists
tested for BAC
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Helmet use

• Helmet use is high
• 94 in 1997, 96.5 in 2002
• Lower severity in crashes
• with helmet
• 22-25 killed or severely injured
• without helmet
• 27-38 killed or severely injured

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DOT-certified helmet and novelty helmet
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Michigan trends, 1997-2002

• 45 increase in registered motorcycles
• 8 increase in licensed motorcyclists
• Aging of licensed motorcyclists
• 20 increase in all motorcycle crashes
• 27 increase in fatal motorcycle crashes
• 44 crash-involved motorcyclists no endorsement
  on license
• 10 - no license
• Proportion of HBD crashes decreased from 12 to
  9

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What can be done

• Licensing
• PIE, enforcement
• Training programs, insurance co, dealers
• Skill levels
• Train and test on bike of size and type to be
  used
• Helmet use
• Educate, encourage, enforce use of DOT-approved
  helmets
• Educate other drivers
• PIE programs how to drive safely near
  motorcycles
• Obtain better estimates
• of motorcyclists
• amount of motorcycle travel in Michigan

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Thank you
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