The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA)
Motorcycling Safety Position Paper - February 2001

4 THE MAIN SAFETY ISSUES

4.1 The high accident and casualty risk of motorcycling has been attributed to a range of factors. The European Experimental Vehicles Committee Report of Motorcycle Safety lists the main problems as:

*	the exposed position of the motorcyclist
*	the difficulty of seeing a motorcycle in traffic
*	difficulty in judging the speed of their approach
*	emergency braking that can tip up the bike in some circumstances

4.2 Mannering and Grodsky suggest five reasons for motorcyclists’ high accident risk:

*	car drivers tend to be inattentive with regard to motorcyclists and tend to expect collisions to take place with other cars
*	the operation of a motorcycle is complex requiring excellent motor skills and physical co-ordination, any impairment from drowsiness to alcohol or medication will have a greater impact on the likelihood of accident involvement
*	many motorcyclists are not properly trained on the intricacies of motorcycle operation
*	motorcycling may attract risk-seeking individuals due to the dangers involved
*	most motorcycles offer advanced performance to cars with better acceleration which may be difficult for the rider to resist

4.3 A TRL report states that two of the most frequent causes of motorcycle accidents are:

*	the failure of other road users to see the motorcycles
*	the incorrect use of motorcycle brakes

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