Motorcyclists’ behaviour (2017)


Research carried out in Buenos Aires City, in March/April/May, 2013 on a total amount of 1822 observed motorcycles and mopeds (work days, from 9 to 18):
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The results showed some high-risk behaviours of this group.


The motorcycle is a dangerous vehicle because of its instability, which depends on the equilibrium of the driver and his/her movements, because it doesn’t have protective bodywork for its users and it is very small, which means it’s not very visible for the rest of the drivers

Despite this, many motorcyclists endanger their lives and other people’s:

 

 

  • In the intersections, every time they don’t stop at red traffic lights:
    35% of motorcyclists fail to stop at red traffic lights:  

 
  • When they don’t adjust the speed to the situations of the road:
    22% of motorcyclists don’t slow down at corners                          
    where they can run into other vehicles and/or pedestrians

 

  • They don’t signal their maneuvers:                                                       

        66% of motorcyclists don’t signal when they are about to turn.        

 

  • Besides, motorcyclists endanger pedestrians’ lives:                             

         69% of motorcyclists don’t yield at pedestrian crossings                    

 

  • 51% of motorcyclists invade pedestrian crossings      

when they stop to wait for traffic lights’ change, if they stop.                                     

 

These are just a sample of many other risk behaviours that account for high crash rates of this ever growing group, by which 2700 people died in 2016. 39% of deaths in traffic in Argentina were motorcyclists and moped riders, most of them under 25 years old.

 

Although in Buenos Aires City, the use of helmet reaches 87% of motorcyclists, the Government of the City recognizes that there were 28 deaths and 3.823 injured people during 2016.

 

Motorcyclists and moped riders’ education and the increase of enforcement towards this group are urgent measures to revert these losses of lives and health, which are absolutely preventable.