(Research Paper)

A Depth Analysis of Motorcycle Accident

Student Name : Shahadat Ahmed

Student Id# : 111 0119 030
Course Name : Eng 105.4
Course Instructor : Michelle Draper (McD)

Submission Deadline: 14th December, 2013

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I would like to thank my honorable and respected faculty member, Michelle Draper for her

valuable advisory and guidance towards the improvement of this research on ―A Depth Analysis

of Motorcycle Accident‖. Without her encouragement and expertise, it would not have been

possible to complete the research paper. Her brilliant methods and driving push helped all along

and was invaluable.

I would also like to thank my parents for providing me with the necessary tools and

motivation which provided good influence from time to time. This research paper is based on

primary and secondary data , I should thank those people who have helped me doing my surveys

and also those who updated information in internet and different pages, journals, and websites.

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Abstract

Motorcycle accidents have somewhat different characteristics to accidents involving other

classes of road user. Motorcycle is more convenient than other motor engine vehicles for its

quick and fast moving capabilities. Increasing number of motorcycle and scooter sales indicate

its demand. But safety is less in motorcycle riding compared to other vehicles. So increasing

number of this vehicle also increased the number of accidents. Motorcyclists have an especially

poor safety record when compared to other road user groups. As it completely depends on

balance of the rider as well as his control over it, accidents may occur for the slightest mistake.

Motorcyclist, unaware of safety gears (helmet), often face serious injuries. Day by day their

killed and serious injured rate is increasing. Each accident has specific reason behind it. So, the

focus of the research was on the reason behind motorcycle accidents in order to prevent them

further. By went in details gradually things came up like, what are the lacking. Finally I figured

out that my hypothesis is right about the research topic when majority agreed with me.

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Contents
ACKNOWLEDGMENT................................................................................................................. 2

1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 6

2. Background ............................................................................................................................. 7

3. Areas of Research ................................................................................................................... 9

4. Hypothesis............................................................................................................................. 10

5. Methodology ......................................................................................................................... 10

6. Primary Data Presentation & Analysis ................................................................................. 11

a. Purpose of using Motorcycle: ............................................................................................ 11

Chart Description: ................................................................................................................. 11

Chart Analysis:...................................................................................................................... 12

b. Accidents among various users:......................................................................................... 12

Chart Description .................................................................................................................. 13

Chart Analysis ....................................................................................................................... 13

c. Possible reasons of accidents: ............................................................................................ 14

d. Impact of other road users: ................................................................................................ 15

Description: ........................................................................................................................... 15

Analysis: ............................................................................................................................... 16

e. Using helmet: ..................................................................................................................... 16

Description: ........................................................................................................................... 17

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 Analysis: ............................................................................................................................... 17

f. Speeding above limit.......................................................................................................... 17

Description: ........................................................................................................................... 18

Analysis: ............................................................................................................................... 18

g. Need of awareness ............................................................................................................. 19

Description: ........................................................................................................................... 19

Analysis: ............................................................................................................................... 19

7. Secondary Data Presentation & Analysis ............................................................................. 20

a. Wrong way driving: ........................................................................................................... 20

b. Losing control on bends ..................................................................................................... 20

Story: ..................................................................................................................................... 21

c. Impaired riding................................................................................................................... 22

d. 15 motorcycle riding tips: .................................................................................................. 23

e. Motorcycle Safety Tips: ..................................................................................................... 28

8. Limitation .............................................................................................................................. 33

9. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 34

Reference ...................................................................................................................................... 35

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1. Introduction

Motorcycle is known as a thrilling vehicle all over the world. For its easy mobility and sporty

design, motorcycle is attractive to people. People who likes speed and fast moving, this is the

perfect vehicle for them. Especially young generation like this vehicle more than other age

group. Having various advantages, motorcycles also have some major problems as a vehicle. It

has higher risk of accident than any other vehicle on the road. Motorcycle accidents have

somewhat different characteristics to accidents involving other classes of road user. In particular,

they include ‗right of way‘ accidents, accidents involving loss of control on bends, and accidents

caused by motorcyclists using the more frequent overtaking and passing opportunities that this

choice of transport affords them.

From last decade, it is been observed that use of motorcycle has been increased dramatically all

over the world. Even though Bangladesh is an under developing country, it has the same

scenario. Users of motorcycle have increased almost 4 times of what it was 10-12 years ago.

With increased number of user, the number of motorcycle accidents has increased as well. From

very little to fatal injury that may cause death, can happen from a motorcycle accident.

Considering the injuries that may cause by motorcycle accidents, many foundations have formed

all over the world. All of them are working to create the safety awareness among the

motorcyclists in order to avoid the accidents. A brief guideline for motorcycle driving, certain

rules and regulation, and a mass awareness is the keys to prevent further motorcycle accidents.

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In our country, Bangladesh, motorcyclists have poor safety awareness. It is often seen that many

accidents are occurring in city roads as well as in highways. Victims are facing major injuries

such as broken limbs, paralyzed/ loss of lower body part, trauma in heads. Poor safety measures

like riding without helmet, riding with more than one pillion passengers, improper signaling

often causes these accidents. In recent days, people are buying motorcycles that have higher

horse power and sporty design. They are doing such acts that should not be done outside of race

tracks. So many accidents are occurring only because of motorcyclists themselves. To avoid all

this and further accidents we need drivers who are well aware about the roads and every other

associations related with the motorcycle. So creating awareness about incidents related

motorcycle, causes of usual accidents and experienced riders opinion can help to prevent further

motorcycle accidents.

2. Background

Motorcyclists have an especially poor safety record when compared to other road user groups.

As it completely depends on balance of the rider as well as his control over it, accidents may

occur for the slightest mistake. Motorcyclist, unaware of safety gears (helmet), often face serious

injuries. Day by day their killed and serious injured rate is increasing. Each accident has specific

reason behind it. So, the focus of the research will be on the reason behind motorcycle accidents

in order to prevent them further.

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In Bangladesh, the image is not different than others. According to official statistics, there are a

total of 949,047 registered motorcycles in Bangladesh. Of them, 107,962 took registration from

the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) in 2011. In 2010, the number of motorcycles

registered was 88,499. The number rose from 24,941 in 2004 to 84,142 in 2010, according to

BRTA sources. The last research on motorcycle accidents by BRTA shows that there were 3,744

accidents occurred where the rider was either killed or fatally injured.

After knowing this facts, it is a must do act to try to prevent motorcycle accidents in future.

Analysis shows that people tend to act like less careful while riding a motorcycle. Knowing that

a helmet is a must wear safety guard for motorcyclists, they often do not use helmet. Pillion

passenger should also wear helmet while riding but it is hard to see in our country. Law enforced

to make sure that both motorcycle rider and its passenger wear helmet, but people are breaking

this rule every now and then. Racing on the city road, violating traffic rules, wrong way of

driving and many other problems came out when finding the solution. Sometimes other road

users also cause the accident by their reckless act on the road. A proper knowledge should be

created to aware about all the circumstances. After knowing all of this, it is only a hope that

motorcyclists will be more aware on the road and they might be able to avoid further accidents.

So, this research paper is about finding the reasons behind why motorcycle accidents are

occurring. Here, we can find the answers of what are the draw backs that led to motorcycle

accident. How people acting now a days and how they should be. In this research I believed that

awareness can help to avoid future accidents. Motorcyclists who are marching on the roads, what

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is their point of view regarding motorcycle accidents and if they agree with me or not. This

research has been done on motorcyclists and all contents are valid.

3. Areas of Research

In this research, the main focus was on how motorcyclists drive their vehicle in the road and

what the problems they face in the road are. Finding the actual reasons behind the accident and

experience of the victims, I tried to find out the reasons of the motorcycle accidents. This

research answers the questions of why and how much motorcycle is being used, what are the

main causes that already occurred accidents, what are the safety measures that people usually

takes while driving, what people‘s regular way of motorcycle driving and finally from users

point of view, what is the impact of awareness to prevent future accidents. After analyzing my

primary data that supported by my secondary data, I came with the answers. Answers shows that,

most of the people use motorcycle for their daily use and necessity followed by other reasons as

well. And interesting thing is those who use motorcycle majority use it heavily. Accidents are

occurring due to various causes out of which motorcyclist themselves are the reason mostly.

Lack knowledge about the devastation and awareness motorcyclists tend to avoid safety

precautions where it is a must do. People agree about having a safe road but do not feel the urge

to keep themselves safe by their own. But finally majority of the sample data agrees that

awareness may prevent future accidents.

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4. Hypothesis

The research is to find the reasons behind the accidents and people‘s perception about it. I expect

to gather motorcycle accident victims experience as well as the facts behind the accidents to

create awareness among motorcycle users. It is my strong believe that the awareness will help

the motorcycle user to avoid future accidents.

5. Methodology

Primary data of this research paper is gathered from survey questionnaire on sample, focus

group discussion and expert‘s experience and advises. My survey questionnaire was consist of

questions that cover my focused research areas and also what will determine that my hypothesis

is proven right or wrong. I did the survey among North South University students and the

motorcyclist group named Bangladeshi Bikers. I arranged a focus group discussion among the

young motorcyclists of North South University. In that group discussion, I started the discussion

by giving cue related to my topics to the attendants, and they carried out the discussion on their

own. I took a note of their point of view and their came up pooits. I consulted with a 25 years

experienced motor mechanic who has gone through several motorcycle accidents and seen a lot

too. A combination of these three type primary information, I think I got valid answers of my

questions that I want to know from the research.

Secondary data of this research paper is collected from various sources where online books,

articles, safety tips and statistics of motorcycle accidents in Govt. website are mentionable. I

collected information related motorcycles of Bangladesh from Govt. website BRTA. I related

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various references from Motorcycle Safety Foundation (USA based organization) website with

my primary data analysis.

6. Primary Data Presentation & Analysis

a. Purpose of using Motorcycle:

It is a very important fact to understand that why people use motorcycle. Because knowing the

usage volume and how they use motorcycle it can be perceived that, what their possibility is

facing an accident. Analyzing the reason the following data came up.

Chart Description:

The pie chart above shows the percentage of motorcycle user with respect to their reason of

using. Each pie shows the percentage of users with the reason of using motorcycle. In my

questionnaire one of the reasons is noted as other, where participants added their reasons. From

the pie chart, it can be seen that 44% of participants use motorcycle as an essential vehicle to

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commuting to work. Second highest is 18% of participants, who use it for sports &

adventure (represents Stunting/ Adventure tour). 16% of participants use it as part of their

job, 12% of participants for visiting friends/relatives. Rest of 8% use it for recreation and

2% of participants use it as other (i.e. emergency communication).

Chart Analysis:

The interpretation of the charts above shows that people who have higher involvement with

motorcycle tend to face accident more. And the number of high usage rate is comparatively

higher than the occasional usage rate. So the risk of facing accident is significant. From the

survey it is also noticed that one individual uses a motorcycle for several purposes. So chances of

motorcycle accident for an individual are high.

b. Accidents among various users:

It is observed from the research that accident rate varies in different user groups, and mainly

heavy users have higher chances of accident. But special case is the group who use motorcycle

as a sports/ adventurous vehicle. The data came up like-

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Chart Description

Among the “commuting to work” group more than 50% of them had accidents. About 80% of

“sports & adventure” group had accidents. 35% members of “part of job” group experienced

accidents. Other groups had very low percentages of accidental experience. The group “sports &

adventure” is an special case, where accident rate is highest.

Chart Analysis

It is noticed that 46% of my sample data had experienced motorcycle accidents overall. It can be

said that the heavy users have a higher tendency to face accidents. But user who use motorcycle

for stunt and other sports they may use it less than others but still face more accidents than other.

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 c. Possible reasons of accidents:

From the survey, focus group discussion and experts opinion I was able to identify the following

reasons that have already caused or may cause motorcycle accidents-

 Speeding

 Rash motorcycling

 Reckless overtaking

 Lack of driving skills

 More than two pillion passenger

 Traffic rules violation

 Over bend on the turns

 Using mobile while riding a motorcycle

 Racing inside the city roads

 Faulty road conditions

 Caution less turning

 Other road users

 Stunting on road

 Technical problems

All of these problems are highlighted as major reason of having motorcycle accidents. Several

times these were unknown to the users before they actually went through these.

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 d. Impact of other road users:

There is some significant impact from other road users to cause motorcycle accidents. The

following chart shows how other road users effects motorcyclist to cause accidents:

13%

Three wheelers
Other motorcyclist
45%
21% Pedestrian
Car drivers
Large vehicles- (i.e. Bus/ Truck)
Other

4%
13%
4%

Description:

Above pie chart shows that participants of the survey believe that road user of different

categories can cause motorcycle accident. From the data acquired, it is shown that 45% of

motorcycle accident is generated by three wheelers on the roads. 21% times motorcyclists face

accidents for large vehicles such as Bus/Truck. Pedestrian are the cause of 13% interruption of

motorcycle. 4% times it is caused by car drivers. A very few times, around 4% times other

motorcyclists causes the accident. Car drivers and others such as some two wheelers that carries

load and cyclists cause accidents as per users point of view.

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Analysis:

The interpretation of the pie chart is, motorcycle accident mostly caused by the tree wheelers. It

is often caused by large vehicles and pedestrian. Sometimes fault by car drivers may cause a

motorcycle accident. But responsibility is more bearded by the rider himself, where other road

user should be careful as well.

e. Using helmet:

Using helmet while driving is a must do, but still it is overlooked by most of our riders. Helmets

save life and helps to protect users head from major hit in any accidents. It is most important to

wear helmet while riding for both rider and pillion passenger. But statistics below shows users

care less behavior in this matter.

Use of Helmet
40% 38%

35%

30%
25%
25%
21%
20%

15% 13%

10%
4%
5%

0%
Always Most of the times Occasionally Never Don't know

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Description:

Above bar chart shows that only 38% of user regularly use helmet where rest 62% of people has

contradiction regarding this matter. 25% people occasionally uses helmet and 21% never use the

helmet.

Analysis:

This is really unfortunate that people don‘t realize and actually they have lack of awareness that

helmet is the best friend while riding a motorcycle. Spreading this awareness is also a goal of this

research.

f. Speeding above limit

Many of the motorcyclists love speeding and sometimes they exceed the limit. Data shows the

tendency of people how often they do this thing while riding motorcycle-

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 Speeding Tendency

Don't know 12%

Never 13%

Occasionally 33%
Speeding Tendency

Most of the times 25%

Always 17%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

Description:

Data shows that 33% of user occasionally exceeds speed limit of their motorcycle. On the other

hand 17% always and 25% most of the times do this. 13% people never do speeding and 12%

haven‘t shared the truth with us

Analysis:

So I came up with the analysis that majority has a tendency to speeding which most of the time

cause accidents. Their confidence and unawareness may cause a fatal injury to them. This should

be stopped by let motorcyclists know.

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 g. Need of awareness

After finding and analyzing the reasons behind motorcycle accidents, finally the question comes

up that what is need now to prevent this problem. So as per my hypothesis it was the awareness

that might help prevent future motorcycle accidents. Voting pole done by the sample participants

shows the acceptance of my hypothesis:

Description:

Data shows that 75% people agreed with the topic that proper awareness is will do the trick,

where 17% people argue with the view. But only 8% avoided to give any recommendation.

Analysis:

Analysis explains that majority accepts the fact that by creating awareness among motorcycle

user will prevent future motorcycle accidents where very few still argues with it.

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7. Secondary Data Presentation & Analysis

a. Wrong way driving:

From overall world statistics, 38% motorcycle accidents involve Right of Way Violations. Right

of way violation best known as wrong deriving in our country. However, less than 20% of these

involve a motorcyclist who rated as either fully or partly to blame for the accident. The majority

of motorcycle ROWV accidents have been found to be primarily the fault of other motorcyclists.

This is an even higher level of ‗non-blameworthiness‘ in ROWV accidents than that observed in

other in-depth studies. ( Hurt et al. 1981)

The majority of ROWVs occur at T-junctions, which are three times as common as roundabouts

or crossroads. This finding is in accordance with the work of Hole, Tyrell and Langham (1996),

who found that the majority of such accidents occurred at ‗uncontrolled‘ (i.e. no stop light or

sign with only give-way markings and/or signs present) T-junctions in urban environments.

b. Losing control on bends

Over 15% of total cases involve loss of control on a bend, corner or curve. This type of accident

is almost always regarded as primarily the fault of the motorcyclist rather than other road users,

and it has already been shown that such accidents are more associated with riding for pleasure

than accidents of other types. (Hurt et al. 1981) found that rider error in such cases consisted of

‗slide out and fall due to over braking, running wide of a curve due to excess [inappropriate]

speed, or under cornering‘, which seem also to be the most frequent rider errors in bend

accidents in this sample.

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Riders having this type of accident are nearly three times as likely (compared with the whole

sample) to be rated as ‗inexperienced‘ riders by researchers; this usually occurs when it has been

noted by an investigating police officer that some form of inexperience was a factor, e.g. a rider

who has only very recently passed the motorcycle test. Interestingly, such accidents appear no

more likely than accidents of other types in the sample to occur on damp, wet or icy roads,

though there is some evidence of a problem with riders hitting oil, gravel and mud in some rural

bend accidents. Though inappropriate speed for the bend is implicated in a large proportion of

cases, there are also a number of cases where there seems no evidence of any failure except ones

relating to lack of experience, as in the fatal example.

Story:

It was late in the evening on a fine night in autumn. The rider (M,28) of a Kawasaki ZZR 600

motorcycle (1) was travelling along a rural B road with a 60 mph limit and streetlights. He was

out for a pleasure ride with another friend of his who was ahead of him. Both riders had taken

direct access intensive motorcycle courses to gain their full license and rider 1 had passed his test

11 days before. He had picked up the Kawasaki that day. The two riders travelled round a right-

hand bend. Although the bend was not so severe that it could not be taken at the legal maximum

of 60 mph, rider 1, who was following his slightly more experienced friend, failed to take the

bend correctly even though he was not exceeding the limit. His bike hit the nearside curb and he

was thrown into the road. The bike was a write off and the rider received multiple injuries from

which he died. Police put the cause of the accident down to an inexperienced rider riding an

unfamiliar machine.

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 c. Impaired riding

When accidents in our sample are analyzed for the involvement of alcohol or drugs, it is found

that 3.4% of accidents for which the rider is fully or partly to blame involve alcohol (or much

less commonly, drugs, which account for under 0.25% of contributory factors). This does not

seem to be significantly different to the percentage figure of people failing breath tests at the

roadside after injury accidents in the UK as a whole (3.7%, according to Department for

Transport figures for the year 2000). However, accidents in the sample where another driver is at

fault have an alcohol/drug involvement rate of only 1.3%, which suggests that motorcyclists are

more likely to have an accident while impaired through drink or drugs than they are to be hit by

another driver who is impaired, i.e. allowing for exposure levels.

Impaired riders are significantly more likely to be younger than other ‗at fault‘ riders, and they

are more likely to be violating licensing laws by riding while already disqualified, having no

license, or breaking the terms of a provisional license; there is therefore some evidence of a

‗multi-offending‘ group in this type of accident. Deliberate riding at over the speed limit, loss of

control and other deliberate actions, such as riding without a safety helmet, are all more common

in this group of riders.

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 d. 15 motorcycle riding tips:

Riding in traffic can be a nightmare, especially for street-riding newcomers. Is it any wonder so

many motorcyclists crash and burn while riding on congested streets? It's amazing how many

different tasks motorcyclists deal with on a normal traffic-choked commute. Doing it

successfully means processing a multitude of items at once and reacting correctly to each. Doing

it wrong can mean road kill--the human kind. Here are 15 smart strategies for dealing with

traffic-choked streets.

i. Watch drivers' heads and mirrors

Watching the head movements of drivers through their windows and mirrors is an excellent way

to anticipate sudden moves. Most drivers won't lunge left or right without first moving their

heads one way or another (even if they don't check their mirrors).

ii. Trust your mirrors, but not totally

Your bike's mirrors can be lifesavers, but they don't always tell the entire story even if they're

adjusted properly. In traffic, always buttress your mirror-generated rear view with a glance over

the appropriate shoulder. Do it quickly and you'll add an extra measure of rear-view and blind-

spot knowledge to your info-gathering tasks.

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 iii. Never get between a vehicle and an off ramp

This sounds almost too simple, but drivers who decide to exit at the last minute kill plenty of

riders each year. The simple rule, then, is to never position yourself between a vehicle and an off

ramp. Passing on the right is generally a no-no, but in this day and age it's sometimes necessary.

So if you do it, do so between exits or cross-streets.

iv. Cover your brakes

In traffic you must often react extra quickly, which means not fumbling for the brake lever or

pedal. To minimize reach time, always keep a finger or two on the brake lever and your right toe

close to the rear brake pedal.

v. Be noticed

Make sure drivers and pedestrians can see you, even from a distance. Ride with your high beam

on during the day (as a courtesy, turn it off when sitting behind someone at a light), and wear

brightly colored gear, especially your helmet and jacket. Aerostich's Hi Vis yellow suits and

jackets aren't just hugely conspicuous; they've also become fashionable, so now you don't have

an excuse.

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 vi. Be ready with the power

In traffic, ride in a gear lower than you normally would so your bike is ready to jump forward

instantly if asked. (Not everyone rides open-class twins, after all.) Doing so gives you the option

of leaping ahead instead of being limited to just using the brakes when that pickup suddenly

moves over. The higher revs might also alert more cagers to your presence.

vii. Traffic slowing? Stay left (or right)

When traffic slows suddenly, stay to the left or right of the car in front of you. This will give you

an escape route if needed. It will also help keep you from becoming a hood ornament if the car

behind you fails to stop in time. Once you've stopped, be ready--clutch in, your bike in gear and

your eyes on the mirrors. You never know.

viii. Practice the scan

Constantly scanning your entire environment while riding--from instruments to mirrors to the

road ahead to blind spots to your left and right rear--keeps you aware and in touch with your

situation, and therefore better able to react. Dwelling on one area too long--watching only behind

or in front of you, for instance--is just begging for trouble.

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 ix. Left-turn treachery

When approaching an oncoming car that's stopped and about to turn left, be ready. Your brights

should be on so the driver can see you (during the day), but don't rely on this to save you. Watch

the car's wheels or the driver's hands on the steering wheel; if you see movement, be ready to

brake, swerve or accelerate, whichever seems best for the situation.

x. Study the surface

Add asphalt conditions to your scan. Be on the lookout for spilled oil, antifreeze or fuel; it'll

usually show up as shiny pavement. Also keep an eye out for gravel and/or sand, which is

usually more difficult to see. Use your sense of smell, too; often you can smell spilled diesel fuel

before your tires discover how slippery the stuff is.

xi. Ride in open zones

Use your bike's power and maneuverability to ride in open zones in traffic. In any grouping of

vehicles there are always some gaps; find these and ride in them. Doing so will separate you

from four-wheelers, give you additional room to maneuver and allow you to keep away from

dangerous blind spots. And vary your speed. Riding along with the flow can make you invisible

to other drivers, especially in heavy traffic.

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xii. Use that thumb

Get into the habit of canceling your turn signals often regardless of the traffic situation. A

blinking signal might tell drivers waiting to pull into the road or turning left in front of you that

you're about to turn when you aren't. So push that switch a few times each minute. Better to wear

out the switch than eat a Hummer's hood.

xiii. It's good to be thin

A huge advantage single-track vehicles have over four-wheelers is their ability to move left and

right within a lane to enable the rider to see what's ahead. Whether you're looking to the side of

the cars ahead or through their windshields, seeing what's coming can give you lots of extra time

to react.

xiv. More than one way out

Yeah, motorcycles fall down. But they're also light, narrow and hugely maneuverable, so you

might as well learn to exploit their strengths when things get ugly, right? So don't just brake hard

in a hairball situation. There's almost always an escape route. Swerving into Mrs. Smith's front

yard could be a lot better than center punching the Buick that turned left in front of you. Always

have an escape route planned, and update it minute by minute.

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xv. Running interference

This one's easy, and we'll bet most of you already do it: Let larger vehicles run interference for

you when negotiating intersections. If the bonehead coming toward you from the left or right is

going to blow the light, better they hit the box van next to you, right? For the same reasons, don't

lunge through an intersection as soon as the light turns green. Be patient, and use the vehicles

next to you as cover.

e. Motorcycle Safety Tips:

 Wear a Helmet

The most important thing you can do to stay safe on a motorcycle is wear a helmet. Helmets

protect your head, and head injuries are the leading cause of death for motorcycle riders. Your

brain just wasn‘t meant to be exposed. Of course, wearing a helmet isn‘t enough. You need to

wear the right helmet. Lots of places sell novelty helmets that look good but don‘t protect you.

Look for a Department of Transportation-approved helmet. Those helmets have been tested and

provide a minimum standard of protection.

Make sure your helmet fits properly. It shouldn‘t be too tight or too loose. It shouldn‘t obstruct

your vision, but it should cover most of your head. For more protection, opt for a full-face helmet

with protection all the way around. A simple windshield can at least protect your face from bugs,

rocks and rain, but a full-face helmet will have a piece that goes around your chin, so your face

won‘t make contact with the road.

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  Look Twice

This tip is more for drivers than bikers, but it‘s so important that it‘s worth mentioning here:

Look for motorcycles. Motorcycles are small and tough to see. That means many drivers miss

them, causing collisions that are often fatal to the motorcycle rider.

Keep your eyes and ears open for motorcycles. Lots of bikes have loud exhaust systems

specifically to draw drivers‘ attention. Use that to your advantage. But you still need to look out

for quiet bikes. Look twice before changing lanes, and always check your blind spot. A bike may

be there. Also, before pulling into traffic, look for motorcycles. They‘re harder to spot than cars,

but taking an extra second to look could save someone‘s life. For riders, look twice is still a good

rule to follow. Never assume that a driver sees you. Ride defensively and take responsibility for

staying safe around cars.

 Leave Enough Space

One of the biggest mistakes drivers and motorcycle riders make is not leaving enough stopping

distance for bikes. While it‘s true that since bikes are smaller and lighter than cars, they need less

space to stop and maneuver, they still need more than you might think.

Anti-lock brakes are still relatively new on many bikes, and older models don‘t have them. That

means that bikers can‘t just slam on the brakes like a driver could. Their wheels would lock up,

they‘d lose control, the bike would drop and they‘d go for an asphalt slide. Practice stops on your

bike in a safe environment and know how much space you need. Then, make sure you give

yourself that much space in traffic. Leave a generous following distance between your bike and

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the vehicle in front of you, and try to keep an escape route open to the side (onto the road

shoulder, for example) if you can‘t stop in time.

 Avoid Distraction

We all know distracted driving is a bad idea, but it‘s worse when you‘re riding a bike. One of the

keys to staying safe on a motorcycle is staying hyper-aware of everything that‘s going on around

you. Remember, motorcycles are tough for drivers to see –especially drivers in large cars or

SUVs. You need to see and avoid them, rather than bet on them seeing you. If you‘re fiddling

with your phone or iPod, you‘re reaction time is cut by several precious seconds, putting you at

higher risk of a collision. And running into a Chevy Suburban while going 60 miles per hour

(96.6 kilometers per hour) is no one‘s idea of a good time.

In addition to the risk of distraction, taking your hands off your bike lessens your control more

than taking your hands off the wheel of your car. Not only is steering compromised, but so is

braking, accelerating and shifting. It‘s just a bad idea. If you‘re on a bike, remove all temptation

for distraction. Don‘t wear headphones, and put your phone where you can‘t get to it.

 Ride within Your Skills

Riding a motorcycle is a skill, and like all skills, it‘s something that you need to develop. While

you may be fine to go on an easy cruise around town, it takes time to grow the skills you need to

be an expert rider. To stay safe, make sure that you always ride within your skill level. Your

friends who have been riding longer may be able to go super-fast, weave in and out of traffic, or

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control their bikes on curvy roads, but that doesn‘t mean you should. Take the time to build your

skills and only ride in situations where you know your skills are up to the job.

Of course, you should still challenge yourself — that‘s how your skills grow — but you need to

do it in a safe, controlled way. Many motorcycle dealerships offer advanced riding courses where

you can practice more advanced maneuvers. And, if you‘re interested in motorcycle sports, it‘s

easy to find a racing school. Those schools are not only fun, but they help you safely build your

skills so that you‘re safer on the road.

 Protect Your Feet

The right shoes are also important to riding safely. To shift gears on a bike, you lift up with your

toes – so open-toed shoes can become painful fast. Plus, when you‘re riding a bike, you‘re sitting

on the engine and exhaust system, which get hot. It‘s easy to burn your feet. Not only do open-

toed shoes like flip-flops expose your feet while on a bike, they can slip off, causing a dangerous

situation.

When riding a motorcycle, you want study shoes. Those shoes are the only protection your feet

will have. Look for something with a rugged sole. Shoes with smooth soles make it easier for

you to slip. When you‘re at a stop and using your feet to balance, the last thing you want to do is

slip and drop your bike. Motorcycle shoes should also have sturdy ankle supports and a low heel.

You want something that makes it easier for you to balance. Look for shoes or boots in a durable

material, like leather, for better protection.

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  Get the Right Gear

We‘ve all seen people on motorcycles in shorts and flip flops. Those people are not being safe.

Since a motorcycle offers little protection in a crash, what riders wear is part of the crash

protection system. Even if you aren‘t in a crash with another vehicle on your bike, you could

simply lose control and lay the bike down. In that situation, you‘ll be sliding along on asphalt.

That‘s not something you want to do in shorts.

There‘s a reason a lot of bikers wear leather: it‘s strong enough to protect their skin if they slide

along the road surface. Plus, motorcycle riders are exposed to other road hazards, like small

rocks, bugs and cigarette butts, that people in cars are protected from. At 60 miles per hour (96.6

kilometers per hour), even a small rock can sting. Leather gear can help protect you.

Of course, you don‘t have to look like a reject from ―Easy Rider‖ to ride a motorcycle. A lot of

companies specialize in armored motorcycle gear, and it‘s not all leather. You can get vented

motorcycle jackets that keep you cool while keeping you safe. These jackets are made of

lightweight, breathable material, but have heavy-duty amour panels in key places (along the

spine, torso, shoulders and elbows) to protect the wearer.

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8. Limitation

While doing this research I had to face so many obstacles such as, finding secondary data on

Bangladesh‘s perspective, interviewing people about the topic and doing the survey. As it is a

serious topic and the decisions are major. I had to find detailed information about each and every

point of research. But it was real hard to do so, due to the continuous blockades and strikes all

over the country. I wanted to find each and every thing in more details but I had to predict and

assume few thing over the topic. Conducting the survey was quite hard as well. Because during

the time I was assigned with the research work, we got less working days. So I conducted few

questionnaire surveys physically at NSU and rest of it online. So I feel I could not get detailed

information due to these limitations. I wish I could go through deeper than I‘ve done yet in this

topic.

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9. Conclusion

In conclusion, I figured out that, motorcycle user is rapidly increasing in Bangladesh. More want

to use it in near future and the demand is significantly high. Riders seeking safety and they

should have it. But the ultimate safety is on the hand of motorcyclist‘s hand. They have to make

sure the safety of themselves. Creating awareness among motorcycle users as well as among the

other road user can prevent this problem. Various groups and organizations all over the world are

working on awareness. And they already have experienced success. So we can also have the

ability to prevent motorcycle accidents by creating awareness.

Major conclusion came up with some new aspects that should be analyzed. Further focus should

be on:

 Difference between riding behavior of different age groups.

 A way must be found of targeting the other parties who so frequently cause motorcycle

collisions.

 Specific behaviors of motorcyclists themselves also need addressing. Rider skills, while

seeming proficient in certain areas were also found to be lacking in others.

 Further initiatives should be taken to strict the traffic rules and finding the ways to make

that work.

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Reference

i. Hurt, H.H., Ouellet, J.V. and Thom, D.R. (1981) Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and

Identification of Countermeasures, Volume 1: Technical Report. Traffic Safety Center,

University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90007, Contract No. DOT

HS-5-01160.

ii. BETA D News, 10 Motorcycle Safety Tips, Retrieved from

http://news.discovery.com/autos/drive/top-10-motorcycle-safety-tips.htm

iii. Boyk, C. E., Bruno, M. A., & Emch., D. R. (2009). The Ohio Motorcycle Accident Book:

The Ultimate Guide to Motorcycle Accidents in Ohio. Ohio, OH: Charles E. Boyk Law

Office.

iv. Toomer, G. (2010). You and Your Motorcycle: Riding Tips. Retrieved from http://msf-

usa.org/downloads/Street_Motorcycle_Tips_2010.pdf

v. Motorcycle Safety Bangladesh. (2011). Motorcycle Tips. Motorcycle Safety Tips.

Retrieved from http://www.motorcyclebangladesh.com/motorcycle-tips

vi. Clarke D. D., Ward, P., Bartle, C. & Truman, W. (2009). In Depth Study of Motorcycle

Accidents. Retrieved from http://speedcamerareport.co.uk/dft_motorcycle_ accidents.pdf

vii. Bangladesh Roads and Transport Authority. Road Safety. National Road Transport

Accident Report. Retrieved from http://www.brta.gov.bd/index.php/road-safety

viii. Hayakawa, H., Fischbeck, P.S. and Fischhoff, B. (2000) Traffic accident statistics and

risk perceptions in Japan and the United States. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 32,

827–835.

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