BMJ  2004;328:857 (10 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.37984.574757.EE (published 23 January 2004)

Paper

Motorcycle rider conspicuity and crash related injury: case-control study

¹ Section of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population Health, Private Bag 92019, University of Auckland, Grafton Road, Auckland 1, New Zealand, ² Centre for Health Services Research and Policy, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, ³ Institute for International Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia, ⁴ University of Otago, Otago, New Zealand

Objective To investigate whether the risk of motorcycle crash related injuries is associated with the conspicuity of the driver or vehicle.

Design Population based case-control study.

Setting Auckland region of New Zealand from February 1993 to February 1996.

Participants 463 motorcycle drivers (cases) involved in crashes leading to hospital treatment or death; 1233 motorcycle drivers (controls) recruited from randomly selected roadside survey sites.

Main outcome measures Estimates of relative risk of motorcycle crash related injury and population attributable risk associated with conspicuity measures, including the use of reflective or fluorescent clothing, headlight operation, and colour of helmet, clothing, and motorcycle.

Results Crash related injuries occurred mainly in urban zones with 50 km/h speed limit (66%), during the day (63%), and in fine weather (72%). After adjustment for potential confounders, drivers wearing any reflective or fluorescent clothing had a 37% lower risk (multivariate odds ratio 0.63, 95% confidence interval 0.42 to 0.94) than other drivers. Compared with wearing a black helmet, use of a white helmet was associated with a 24% lower risk (multivariate odds ratio 0.76, 0.57 to 0.99). Self reported light coloured helmet versus dark coloured helmet was associated with a 19% lower risk. Three quarters of motorcycle riders had their headlight turned on during the day, and this was associated with a 27% lower risk (multivariate odds ratio 0.73, 0.53 to 1.00). No association occurred between risk and the frontal colour of drivers' clothing or motorcycle. If these odds ratios are unconfounded, the population attributable risks are 33% for wearing no reflective or fluorescent clothing, 18% for a non-white helmet, 11% for a dark coloured helmet, and 7% for no daytime headlight operation.

Conclusions Low conspicuity may increase the risk of motorcycle crash related injury. Increasing the use of reflective or fluorescent clothing, white or light coloured helmets, and daytime headlights are simple, cheap interventions that could considerably reduce motorcycle crash related injury and death.

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This article has been cited by other articles:

• Thornley, S J, Woodward, A, Langley, J D, Ameratunga, S N, Rodgers, A (2008). Conspicuity and bicycle crashes: preliminary findings of the Taupo Bicycle Study. Inj. Prev. 14: 11-18 [Abstract] [Full text]  
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Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Important considerations missing from study of motorcycle rider conspicuity and crash related injury.

Joby Taylor
bmj.com, 13 Apr 2004 [Full text]

Prevention is the best cure... but helmets come a close second

Daniel P Edgcumbe
bmj.com, 13 Apr 2004 [Full text]

Predator and prey

Phillip J. Colquitt
bmj.com, 14 Apr 2004 [Full text]

Motorcycle safety deserves further study - riding towards 2010

Simon N Paul
bmj.com, 15 Apr 2004 [Full text]

Re: Predator and prey

Stephen CJ Love
bmj.com, 15 Apr 2004 [Full text]

You are what you wear

Peter M Brindle
bmj.com, 15 Apr 2004 [Full text]

Author's reply

Susan M Wells, et al.
bmj.com, 10 May 2004 [Full text]

Confounding Factors

Mir Islam Saeed, et al.
bmj.com, 22 Feb 2005 [Full text]