Rider and non-rider attitudes about motorcycles and safety

The Older Rider article is in the issue of MCN that’s just hit your mailboxes. I thank all those who participated in the last survey.

I’m beginning a new project to explore what people think about motorcycling and motorcycle safety and am equally interested in finding out what non-riders think about motorcycling and motorcycle safety.

This project, I have every reason to believe will be completed and put to use much sooner than the last one.

The non-rider survey, in particular, may give us a different perspective on motorist awareness as well as, in some cases, a way to talk to those we know about motorcycling.

Simply copy and paste in to e-mails and send it out as widely as you can—and please, fill it in yourself.

Please fill out the appropriate questionnaire—rider/passenger or non-rider. I also ask you to forward both to any and all motorcyclists. and ask them to fill it in as well as forward it.

Please ask them, in addition, to send on the non-rider survey to others. I would love to be able to have as many non-riders as riders participating.

Thank you so very much!

MOTORCYCLIST OPERATOR/PASSENGER SURVEY

Please send back to: Majorjoy2002@yahoo.com

Please fill this out only if you currently do or used to operate a street-legal motorcycle or regularly ride (or used to) on the back as a passenger! If you are not a motorcyclist or regular passenger, please fill out the NON-RIDER survey.

The information shared in the questionnaire will be stripped of personal data before use unless the respondent checks the blank in #3.

1. Name:___________________________

2. How did you get this survey: __Moonrider Redux webstie __Forwarded via e-mail by someone I know ___From a list (which one?) ___________________

___Other (what?)_______________________________

3. Male _____ Female____

4. Check here ____ if author may use your name OR

a. Check here ____ if you like to have quotes used but would prefer to have a moniker or pseudonym used. If so, please state what other name to use: ______________________

b. Check here if you would be willing to supply a photo for a published article:____

5. Check one:

a. ____ I am or have been a motorcyclist.

b. ____I do not operate a motorcycle however I am or have been a motorcyclist passenger regularly and/or frequently.

6. Age:_____

7. Married ____ Single____ Divorced____ Widowed ____

8. Highest level of education completed____________________________

9. Where do you live? Country _________ State/Province _____

Suburban area ____ Town ___Large city _____ Rural area ______

10. What activities and/or sports do you participate in (even infrequently):

11. Have you taken lessons for any sport or hobby as an adult? ___Yes ___No

a. If yes, why?

12. How many miles would you estimate you travel (by any means) on public roads a week?________

13. Do you normally travel on:_____ rural roads _____suburban roads _____urban roads?

14. Do you regularly travel during ____rush hours ____other times of day ____night

15. If urban/suburban: How congested are the roads you normally travel:

___not congested ____ mild ____moderately ____heavy _____extreme.

16. What vehicle(s) do you drive/operate regularly on the road?

17. In what conditions would you refuse to drive a car on the roads:

a. In what conditions would you refuse to ride a motorcycle?

18. How safe or dangerous do you think it is to drive nowadays?

19. How many years have you been driving? _____ How many riding? ____

20. Do you have a valid driver’s license? ___ Yes ____ No

a. Motorcycle endorsement on license? ___Yes ___No

21. How much insurance do you carry on your vehicle(s): ____minimum required by state ____ more than required ____ much more than required

22. Do you carry: uninsured motorist insurance? ___ Yes ____ No

23. Do you have health insurance? ___ Yes ___ No

24. Did you take driver education before getting your driver’s license? ___ Yes ____ No

25. If you took driver’s ed:

Were you required to take such a course? ___ Yes ___ No

Did you believe a driver’s ed course was a safe way to learn to drive? ___ Yes ___ No

26. Did you expect to be able to safely operate a car on the street at the end of the course? ___Yes ___No

27. Did you take a motorcycle training course when you learned to ride?

___Yes ___No ___No, because I am a passenger

28. If yes, did you believe the training course was a safe way to learn? ___Yes ___No

29. If you did take a course, why did you take motorcycle training?

30. If you took a course, did you expect to be able to safely operate a motorcycle on the street by the end of the course? ___Yes ___No

Did you feel competent and safe to operate the motorcycle at the end of the course? ___Yes ___No

31. If you did not take motorcycle training, how did you learn?

32. How would you rate yourself as a car driver?

____safer than most other drivers

____as safe as most drivers

____less safe than other drivers

____safer than most other motorcyclists

____as safe as most motorcyclists

____less safe than other motorcyclists

AND: How would you rate yourself as a motorcycle rider?

____safer than most other motorcyclists

____as safe as most motorcyclists

____less safe than other motorcyclists

____safer than most other drivers

____as safe as most drivers

____less safe than other drivers

33. Have you been in car (or SUV, pickup, van/minivan) accident where you were the driver? ___ Yes ___ No

a. Have you been in a motorcycle accident? ___ Yes ___ No

34. If yes, how many over the course of your driving history? ___ car ____motorcycle.

a. How many were found to be your fault? ____car ___motorcycle

35. Do you wear a seatbelt when you drive? ___ Yes ___ No

36. Do you wear a helmet when you ride? ___ Yes ___ No

a. Check all that apply: ___full-face ___3/4 ___half-shell

37. When you bought your last passenger vehicle were safety features (air bags, ABS brakes, crush zones, consumer/insurance ratings, etc.) to you:

___not important ____minor importance ____moderate importance ____very important ____extremely important

38. When you bought your last motorcycle how important was a safer vehicle (as in braking, tires, headlight style)?

___not important ____minor importance ____moderate importance ____very important ____extremely important

39. Rate each of the following from 1 (great danger) to 5 (safe as reasonable) as to threat each poses to safety for all road users on public roads:

___emergency vehicles racing to a scene/hospital ___pedestrians off the roadway ____speeders ___adult bicyclists ____children playing near the road ____children on bicycles/skateboards/in-line skates ___drunk drivers

____cars parked on both sides of the street _____red-light runners

_____ road surface in poor condition ____distracted drivers ____cell phone(s) in use _____freeways ____rural two-lane roads

___passenger cars ____motorcyclists ____large trucks ____SUVs/pickups ___buses ____ weather _____snow/ice on roadway ____ ____ gravel/rocks on roadway ____ sun in eyes _____slow/obstructing vehicles _____elderly drivers

Now do it again, only rating each as the danger it poses to motorcyclists:

____cars parked on both sides of the street _____red-light runners

_____ road surface in poor condition ____distracted drivers ____cell phone(s) in use _____freeways ____rural two-lane roads

40. How dangerous do you think motorcycling is on a scale from 1 (highest) to 10 (lowest)? ____

41. What do you think makes motorcycling dangerous?

42. Mark whether you think the following statements are true or false:

___ Motorcycle helmets give the equivalent safety to riders that seat belts provide to vehicle occupants.

___In general, motorcyclists speed more often than car drivers do.

___In general, motorcyclists go faster when they speed than car drivers do.

___Motorcyclists, in general, are more aggressive in traffic than the average car driver.

___Motorcyclists are more likely to drink and operate a vehicle than car drivers.

___Motorcyclists are at more risk than drivers if they drink and drive.

___Motorcycle training is as safe and effective as car driver training.

___ The average motorcyclist is as skilled and has a much judgment as the average driver.

___Better knowledge and judgment are even more important than better skill in avoiding dangerous situations in the first place.

___ It is safer to drive closer to a motorcyclist with a helmet than it is to one who is not wearing one.

___It is safer to drive closer a motorcyclist who is riding a smaller bike.

___It is safer to drive closer to a motorcyclist who is on a city street than it is to one on a highway or freeway.

___Car drivers don’t understand motorcycles or their riders and that’s why many accidents happen.

___Motorcyclists are too hard to see.

43. On a scale from 1-5 with 1 being most effective, how effective would each the following be in making motorcycling safer:

___any kind of (legal) helmet

___safety gear (jackets/pants/boots/gloves)

___brightly-colored clothing (hi-visibility)

___brightly-colored motorcycles

___white or bright helmets

___training

___more hazard/street strategy training

___stricter licensing

___limiting how fast motorcycles can go

___increasing motorist awareness of motorcycles

___lower blood alcohol limits for motorcyclists

___increase penalties for reckless/aggressive driving

___increase penalties on motorists who violate rider’s right-of-way

44. If you are a motorcyclist, which of the above do you use and how often?

45. On a scale from 1-5 with 1 being most effective, rate the following

Helmets are ___ effective at preventing death

Helmets are ___ effective at reducing injury

Jackets/pants/gloves/boots are ___ at preventing death

Jackets/pants/gloves/boots are ___ at reducing injury

Taking a motorcycle training class is ____ effective at helping a new rider to be safer on the road

Licensing is ___effective at ensuring a rider is safer on the road

46. Do you think helmet use should be mandatory? ___Yes ____No

47. Do you think a motorcycle safety course should be mandatory? ___Yes ____No

48. Should some kind of graduated or tiered licensing be mandatory? ___Yes ____No

49. Check the appropriate lines:

Motorcyclists who ride no faster than the speed of traffic are:

___just as safe operators as car drivers

___not as safe operators as car drivers

___safer than car drivers

Motorcyclists who drink and ride are

___just as safe drivers who do

___not as safe drivers who do

___safer than drivers who do

Motorcyclists who don’t drink any alcoholic beverages before riding are:

___just as safe riders as those who do

___not as safe riders as those who do

___safer than riders who do

Motorcyclists who wear a helmet are:

___just as safe riders as those who don’t

___not as safe riders as those who don’t

___safer than riders who don’t

Motorcyclists who take a basic training course are:

___just as safe riders as those who didn’t

___not as safe riders as those who didn’t

___safer than riders who didn’t

50. About 50% of motorcycle fatalities are from single-vehicle crashes and 50% from multi-vehicle crashes. Given that, what is the one thing (program, change, adjustment, etc.) that could be done to bring down the fatality rate for:

Single vehicle crashes:

Multi-vehicle crashes:

51. Any other comments or observations about motorcycle safety?

NON-MOTORCYCLIST SURVEY

Please send back to: Majorjoy2002@yahoo.com

the purpose of this survey is to gain an understanding how motorcycles, their riders and their safety in traffic are perceived by those who do not ride one. Please feel free to expand on any answer or to express an opinion or add additional information beyond what is requested.

Please fill out the following survey only if you are NOT a Motorcyclist nor have ridden on the back as a passenger more than a few times. If you are a motorcyclist or passenger, please fill out the other version of the survey available on http://wmoon.wordpress.com/ or by e-mailing: Majorjoy2002@yahoo.com.

none of The Questionnaires or the information in them will ever be sold, rented or released from my personal control.

Name:___________________________

How did you get this survey: __Moonrider Redux webstie __Forwarded via e-mail by someone I know ___From a list (which one?) ___________________

Other (what?)_______________________________

Male _____ Female____
Check here ____ if author may use your name OR
Check here ____ if you like to have quotes used but would prefer to have a moniker or pseudonym used. If so, please state what other name: ______________________
Check here if you would be willing to supply a photo for a published article:____
____I am not a motorcyclist
Age:_____
Married ____ Single____ Divorced____ Widowed ____
Highest level of education completed____________________________
Where do you live? Country _________ State/Province _____ Suburban area ____ Town ___Large city area _____ Rural area ______
What activities and/or sports do you participate in (even infrequently):

How many miles would you estimate you travel (by any means) on public roads a week?________
Do you normally travel on:_____ rural roads _____suburban roads _____urban roads?
Do you regularly travel during ____rush hours ____other times of day ____night
If urban/suburban: How congested are the roads you normally travel: ___not congested ____ mild ____moderately ____heavy _____extreme.
What (on- or off-road) vehicle(s) do you drive/operate regularly? ____________
What conditions would you refuse to drive/travel on the roads:
How safe or dangerous do you think it is to drive nowadays?

How many years have you been driving? _____
Do you have a valid driver’s license? ___ Yes ____ No

How much insurance do you carry on your vehicle(s): ____minimum required by state ____ more than required ____ much more than required
Do you carry: uninsured motorist insurance? ___ Yes ____ No
Do you have health insurance? ___ Yes ___ No
Did you take driver education before getting your driver’s license? ___ Yes ____ No
If you took driver’s ed:
Were you required to take such a course? ___ Yes ___ No
Did you believe a driver’s ed course was a safe way to learn to drive? ___ Yes ___ No
Did you expect to be able to safely operate a car on the street at the end of the course? ___ Yes ___ No
How would you rate yourself as a car driver?

____safer than most other drivers

____as safe as most drivers

____less safe than other drivers

AND:

____safer than most other motorcyclists

____as safe as most motorcyclists

____less safe than other motorcyclists

If you also ride a motorcycle: how would you rate yourself as a motorcycle rider?

____safer than most other motorcyclists

____as safe as most motorcyclists

____less safe than other motorcyclists

____safer than most other drivers

____as safe as most drivers

____less safe than other drivers

Have you been in car (or SUV, pickup, van/minivan) accident where you were the driver? ___ Yes ___ No
If yes, how many over the course of your driving history? ___ How many were found to be your fault? ____
Do you wear a seatbelt when you drive? ___ Yes ___ No
When you bought your last passenger vehicle were safety features (air bags, ABS brakes, crush zones, consumer/insurance ratings, etc.) to you:

___not important ____minor importance ____moderate importance ____very important ____extremely important

Rate each of the following from 1 (great danger) to 5 (safe as reasonable) as to threat each poses to safety on public roads:
___emergency vehicles racing to a scene/hospital ___pedestrians off the roadway ____speeders ___adult bicyclists ____children playing near the road ____children on bicycles/skateboards/in-line skates ___drunk drivers

___cars parked on both sides of the street _____red-light runners

_____ road surface in poor condition ____distracted drivers ____cell phone(s) in use _____freeways ____rural two-lane roads

___passenger cars ____motorcyclists ____large trucks ____SUVs/pickups ___buses ____ weather _____snow/ice on roadway ____ gravel/rocks on roadway ____sun in eyes _____slow/obstructing vehicles _____elderly drivers

How dangerous do you think motorcycling is on a scale from 1 (highest) to 10 (lowest)? ____
What do you think makes motorcycling dangerous?

Mark whether you think the following statements are true or false:

___ Motorcycle helmets for riders are equivalent to the safety provided by a seat belt in a vehicle.