Online motorcycle safety information seeking and its relationship to risk taking and protective behaviors

摘要

Objective: Although substantial research examines motorcycle accidents after they happen, less is known about how motorcycle riders obtain safety information and how this relates to risk taking and protective behaviors. Rather than taking a reactive approach (i.e., investigating accidents after they happen), this study takes a proactive approach by investigating riders’ reports of their behaviors in relation to motorcycle riding and related activities. The goal is to determine models predictive of risk taking and protective behaviors among motorcycle riders. Methods: A web-based survey was used to collect data from 269 participants who belong to an online motorcycle community in Alabama. The data were used to examine the relationship between use of the website for information seeking and two outcomes: frequency of risky riding behaviors and frequency of wearing protective gear. Analyses used multivariate ordinary least squares regression models, adding variables to the model in the following order: (1) use of the website for information seeking, (2) risk perception, (3) cues to action, and (4) control variables accounting for motorcycle riding experience, skills, and socio-demographic factors. Conclusions: Searching for safety information was associated with less risky riding behavior and greater use of protective gear. However, general use of the community website was associated with greater risk taking. This study advances prior work by examining predictors of risky riding behavior and wearing of protective gear, rather than reactively examining determinants of motorcycle crashes.