Analysis of Alcohol-Related Motorcycle Crashes in Florida and Recommended Countermeasures

Abstract

Although much progress has been made in reducing alcohol-related crash fatalities involving motor vehicles, the same success has not been demonstrated with motorcycles. Because the problem associated with drinking and riding is significant in Florida, the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) conducted a comprehensive analysis of motorcycle-alcohol crashes from 1993 to 1997 to understand how and why these crashes occur. CUTR also surveyed states about alcohol programs that target motorcyclists to gather information on potential countermeasures to reduce motorcycle-alcohol injuries and deaths in Florida. The study examined human-related and physical aspects of alcohol-related motorcycle crashes over the 5-year period to help establish an identity for this crash type. Examined human-related crash aspects included age and gender, alcohol use, licensing status, and helmet usage. Physical crash aspects examined included temporal patterns—time of day, day of week, and monthly trends—and contributing factors—first harmful event, road, environmental, and human factors—that cause bodily injuries or property damage. Major study recommendations include increasing efforts to get more motorcyclists properly licensed, greater exposure of messages to motorcyclists about the dangers of drinking and riding, and focused statewide public education and information campaigns. The study concludes with five major categories of countermeasures and recommendations to address the motorcycle-alcohol problem, including public information and education campaigns, promotional activities, enforcement efforts, community-based interventions, and data-collection needs.