DAYTIME HEADLIGHT OPERATION AND MOTORCYCLIST FATALITIES
Since 1978, all new motorcycles first registered in California are required by law to be equipped with headlights which automatically turn on when the engine is started. The purpose of this law is to increase headlight use during daytime and prevent multi-vehicle collisions due to poor conspicuity of motorcyclists. This paper examines whether the increasing operation of motorcycle headlights has been effective in reducing the number of daytime multi-vehicle fatalities in California and other states affected by the California legislation. Time series of motorcycle fatalities (1976-1981) for California and other states in the USA are analyzed by log-linear analysis. Models representing the null-hypothesis were found to be consistent and more parsimonious descriptions of the observed data than models which incorporated additional terms indicating the effectiveness of increased headlight operation, or the effectiveness of daytime headlight use laws. Although the latter terms were not found to be statistically significant, a slight decrease in the odds ratio of multi to single vehicle collisions was predicted in states without daytime headlight use laws. This decrease suggests that daytime headlight operation may be beneficial in reducing the number of motorcycle fatalities. (Author/TRRL)
-
Availability:
- Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00014575
-
Corporate Authors:
Pergamon Press, Incorporated
Headington Hill Hall
Oxford OX30BW, -
Authors:
- Muller, A
- Publication Date: 1984-2
Media Info
- Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
- Pagination: p. 1-18
-
Serial:
- Accident Analysis & Prevention
- Volume: 16
- Issue Number: 1
- Publisher: Elsevier
- ISSN: 0001-4575
- Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00014575
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Before and after studies; Crash rates; Crashes; Daylight; Days; Economic efficiency; Fatalities; Headlamps; Legislation; Mathematical models; Measures of effectiveness; Motorcycles; Motorcyclists; Numbers; Safety; Traffic safety; Utilization; Vehicles; Visibility
- Uncontrolled Terms: Effectiveness; Efficiency; Use
- Geographic Terms: United States
- ITRD Terms: 1612: Accident rate; 9148: Before and after study; 1631: Collision; 9008: Daylight; 5911: Efficiency; 1602: Fatality; 1342: Headlamp; 1556: Legislation; 6473: Mathematical model; 1752: Motorcyclist; 6432: Number; 8122: USA; 9084: Use; 1255: Vehicle
- Subject Areas: Economics; Highways; Law; Research; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00385871
- Record Type: Publication
- Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
- Report/Paper Numbers: HS-036 905
- Files: HSL, ITRD, TRIS
- Created Date: Jul 30 1984 12:00AM