Assessment of Motorcycle Safety in Wyoming: Fatal and Severe Crashes, Contributing Factors and Potential Countermeasures

Zlatkovic, Milan; Baah, Isaac; Cvijovic, Zorica · 2022 · ROSA P / Wyoming. Department of Transportation

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Summary

This study addresses the disproportionate risk of fatal and severe injuries associated with motorcycle crashes in Wyoming, where motorcyclists account for approximately 15% of traffic fatalities. Motivated by the need to identify specific contributing factors and effective countermeasures, the research analyzes crash characteristics to inform safety improvements for the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT). The researchers utilized 12 years of crash data (2008–2019) from WYDOT’s Critical Analysis Reporting Environment, encompassing crash, vehicle, and person-level variables. They employed multinomial logistic regression (MNL) and Bayesian regression models (multilevel and binary) to assess injury severity across four crash categories: rural single-vehicle, rural multi-vehicle, urban single-vehicle, and urban multi-vehicle crashes. Additionally, the study incorporated a motorcycle operator survey and conducted a locational analysis to identify high-frequency crash clusters. Key findings indicate that speeding, alcohol involvement, and specific vehicle maneuvers (such as overtaking, lane changing, and negotiating curves) significantly increase the odds of injury crashes. Helmet use was found to reduce the likelihood of fatal and serious injuries, particularly in single-vehicle and urban multi-vehicle crashes, though its protective effect was sometimes overshadowed by other severe factors. On the vehicle level, horizontal and sag vertical curves, disabling damage, and collisions with slowing or parked vehicles were significant contributors to fatal outcomes. Person-level analysis revealed that riding under the influence, rider distraction, and extreme age groups (young or old) increased the odds of severe injuries, with head, neck, and chest injuries being most prevalent in fatal cases. Notably, Bayesian models did not identify speed as a significant contributor to severe outcomes in Wyoming, contrasting with MNL results. The operator survey highlighted education, training, road maintenance, and proper riding gear as critical prevention strategies. The study concludes by recommending targeted countermeasures, including improved rider education, enhanced awareness for other vehicle operators, and specific roadway design interventions such as motorcycle-friendly barriers and warning signs. It identifies 12 specific crash clusters in rural and urban areas, suggesting location-specific mitigation measures. These findings provide a framework for reducing motorcycle crash frequency and severity in Wyoming and offer a transferable methodology for other states.

Key finding

Alcohol involvement, animal collisions, speeding, and lack of helmet use significantly increased the odds of severe and fatal motorcycle crash outcomes in Wyoming.

Methodology

dataset

Provenance

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Topics

Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.

• motorcycle crash typology
• helmet protective
• motorcyclist skill
• vru crash typology
• cyclist safety
• motorcycle conspicuity

Information type

What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).

• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes