Development of composite motorcycling safety index for addressing motorcycle crash in Malaysia
Motorcycle is a popular private transportation mode in developing ASEAN countries due to affordability and ease of door-to-door mobility. Although motorcycle in Malaysia represented 46% of all registered vehicles, motorcycle riders and pillions contributed to 65% of all road crash fatalities....
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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2020
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/97866/1/FK%202021%2046%20UPMIR.pdf |
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| Summary: | Motorcycle is a popular private transportation mode in developing ASEAN countries
due to affordability and ease of door-to-door mobility. Although motorcycle in
Malaysia represented 46% of all registered vehicles, motorcycle riders and pillions
contributed to 65% of all road crash fatalities. Furthermore, the majority of fatalities
occurred among individuals ageing from 16 to 25 years old. Notably, these fatalities
majorly involved motorcycles on the road as a result of the interaction between
vulnerable road users and other motor vehicles under mixed traffic condition. It is
appreciated that roads are designed based on the characteristics of the design
vehicle/driver, specifically the automobiles. However, in countries with high
motorcycle number, the road designed for automobiles should be shared with the
motorcycles, which leads to road crash as the motorcyclists get entangled with other
vehicles. Given the expectation that motorcyclists share the roads with other mixed
vehicles, a better understanding of motorcycle riders’ perception of traffic and road
environment variables affecting safe motorcycling is essential for creating a safer
riding environment. Notably, an effective engineering measure to address motorcycle
safety in mixed traffic conditions is by segregating motorcycle along the roadways.
Although this idea may be applied along full or partial access control roadways, it may
not be feasible on trunk roads and arterial roads due to the substantial number of access
points, short links, and limitations in road space from the linear developments.
The first phase of this study involved a literature review to identify the variables
relating to road users’ safety perception on the traffic and roadway segments. The
variables referred to safe motorcycling along with the road segments. To corroborate
the identified variables with the actual perception of motorcycle riders in Malaysia,
the questionnaires related to the variables affecting safe motorcycling were answered
by 137 motorcycle riders. The identified variables included mixed traffic volume, travelling speed, lane width, paved shoulder, type of roadway (with or without
median), presence of parking, and pavement conditions.
To further understand the seven variables from the aspect of motorcycle riders’
perception, the respondents were requested to rate 14 short video clips were presented
to 483 respondents in the second phase of this study. The respondents were requested
to rate each video clip based on their perception of safe motorcycling. The possibility
for the respondents’ perceived safety in different scenarios of the variables was
ascertained. The motorcycling safety index was computed while the composite
motorcycling safety index was established based on 114 combinations of summation
of the variables under different safety condition. The lowest composite motorcycling
safety index value of 5.81 inferred that motorcycling was performed in an unsafe
condition, while the composite motorcycling safety index value of 58.01 indicated the
safest motorcycling roadway segment. The findings of this study may serve as the
basis for authorities, traffic planners, and engineers with a scientific perspective to
measure and prioritise the aspects of importance, which should be addressed to
improve the safety of motorcyclist and reduce the number of motorcycle crashes and
fatalities in Malaysia. |
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