Effects of traffic and road factors on motorcycling safety perception

Abstract

In Malaysia and other developing Asian countries, the over-representation of the motorcycle population in mixed traffic results in a high number of motorcyclist casualties and fatalities. As a result, by providing a safer environment for motorcycling, the key problem of road accidents would be minimised. Therefore, this study aims to examine the effects of vehicle speed, traffic volume and lane width on mixed traffic conditions. Each of the 60 motorcyclists who took part in this study watched 12 video clips and saw six photographs of road scenes recorded from a number of sites, and rated their perceived safety related to the three variables. This study found that the perceived safety of motorcycling is associated with these three factors (p < 0 . 01) and motorcycling safety would decrease under higher vehicle speed, heavier traffic volume and narrower lane width. Segregating motorcycles from mixed traffic is one engineering option to address motorcycling safety.

Perception of motorcyclists on safe riding in Kota Kinabalu

“…The results are in accordance with Edquist et al's [7] finding that narrow lanes can impact the drivers' perception. An investigation by Salehi et al [22] also indicated that a narrower lane would decrease the safety of motorcyclists.…”

Editorial

“…The paper applies a Bayesian network modelling approach to investigate factors influencing pedestrian crossing behaviour and shows that pedestrians often exhibit rational crossing behaviour influenced by personal motives rather than external factors. Salehi et al (2013) examine the effects of vehicle speed, traffic volume and lane width on the perceived safety of 60 motorcyclists, travelling in a range of mixed traffic conditions in Malaysia. Motorcyclists feel less safe when travelling in high speed situations, in dense traffic and narrow lane conditions with the authors advocating segregated lanes for motorcyclists to improve safety.…”