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Motorbike riders really are ‘different’
When it comes to road safety, motorbike riders do not think the same way as other road users. For example, to a motorbike rider “pushing the limits” of their riding abilities is not necessarily a dangerous habit—it just improves their skill and makes them “safer riders.”
It is insights like this, reported in ATSB’s latest research study, that have led the authors to argue for Australia’s road safety authorities to urgently consider motorcyclists as a distinctly separate group from other road users. The authors say that only by treating motorbike riders differently—particularly in their training—is it likely that rider fatalities will be reduced.
The report details a psychological research study that set out to gain greater understanding of road safety issues from the motorcyclist’s perspective. The results were not only complex but indicated the attitudes of riders could often be totally different from other road users. Some riders said they believed that obeying road rules was essential. But others said it was often necessary to break the rules “in order to stay safe.”
The authors put the case for further research including a study of the influence of groups of motorcyclists on young riders.
