Motorcycle Crash Causes and Outcomes: Pilot Study DISCLAIMER
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DOT HS 811 280 June 2010 Motorcycle Crash Causes And Outcomes: Pilot Study DISCLAIMER This publication is distributed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in the interest of information exchange. The opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Department of Transportation or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The United States Government assumes no liability for its contents or use thereof. If trade names, manufacturers’names, or specific products are mentioned, it is because they are considered essential to the object of the publication and should not be construed as an endorsement. The United States Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Technical Report Documentation Page 1. Report No. 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient’s Catalog No. DOT HS 811 280 Title and Subject Report Date Motorcycle Crash Causes and Outcomes: Pilot Study June 2010 Performing Organization Code Authors Performing Organization Report No. Westat and Dynamic Science, Inc. Performing Organization Name and Address Work Unit No. (TRAIS) Westat 1600 Research Boulevard Rockville, MD 20850 Contract or Grant No. Dynamic Science, Inc. DTNH22-05-C-05079 299 W. Cerritos Avenue Ahaheim, CA 92805 Sponsoring Agency Name and Address Type of Report and Period Covered U.S. Department of Transportation Final Report National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE. Sponsoring Agency Code Washington, DC 20590 15. Supplementary Notes Dr. Paul Tremont, Dr. Jenny Percer, and Dr. Jessica Cicchino were the NHTSA Contracting Officer’s Technical Representatives for this project. 16. Abstract The number of motorcyclist crash-related fatalities has more than doubled during the past 10 years. In the Safe, Account- able, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) P.L. 109-59, Congress directed the Secretary of Transportation to conduct a comprehensive study of the causes of motorcycle crashes. In anticipation of this mandate, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration awarded a contract to conduct a Pilot Study to devel- op and test a methodology for in-depth motorcycle crash investigation. Using a protocol developed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development for a multination European study as a guide, the contract had four main goals: (1) develop comprehensive data collection forms, a coding manual, and field protocol for crash investigations; (2) develop data collection forms, a coding manual, and field protocol for the collection of control group data; (3) develop training material that can be used for a future larger scale study; and (4) assess the levels of effort and resources required for each stage of an investigation so that more accurate plans can be made for the future study. This report describes the process used to develop the data collection methods and tools, conduct data collection, and evaluate the results. In addi- tion, it provides estimates of the average cost of completing an in-depth investigation, including the related dropped cas- es and control group data. Recommendations for modifications to the data forms, coding manuals, training material, and database are included. 17. Key Words 18. Distribution Statement Motorcycle Pilot Study Document is available to the public through the National Technical Motorcycle rider OECD Information Service www.ntis.gov Crash Causation Crash Investigation 19. Security Classif. (of this report) 20. Security Classif. (of this page) 21. No. of Pages 22. Price Unclassified Unclassified 233 Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) i Executive Summary The number of motorcyclist crash-related fatalities has more than doubled during the past 10 years. In the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Lega cy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), P.L. 109-59, Congress directed the Secretary of Transporta tion to conduct a comprehensive study of the causes of motorcycle crashes. In anticipa tion of this mandate, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded contract DTNH22-05-C-05079 to conduct a Pilot Study to develop and test a methodology for in-depth motorcycle crash investigation. Using a protocol developed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Devel opment (OECD) for a multination European study as a guide, the study had four main goals: (1) develop comprehensive data collection forms, a coding manual, and field pro tocol for crash investigations; (2) develop data collection forms, a coding manual, and field protocol for the collection of control group data; (3) develop training material that can be used for a future larger scale study; and (4) assess the levels of effort and re sources required for each stage of an investigation so that more accurate plans can be made for the future study. A Project Working Group of stakeholders from the motorcycle community was convened in June 2006. They reviewed all of the OECD data elements and made recommendations. As a result of this meeting and with contributions and review by the project team, staff from NHTSA, the Federal Highway Administration, and Oklahoma State University, a modified set of data elements was created. Westat and its subcontractor, Dynamic Science, Inc., (DSI) conducted the study in Orange County, California. Cooperative agreements were negotiated with five police agencies in seven jurisdictions. The plan was to investigate up to 37 crashes via on-scene response during a 3-month data collection period. The project successfully developed and evaluated all data collection instruments, hired and trained crash investigators, conducted on-scene investigations, and gathered exposure data. Notifications were received on 53 motorcycle crashes during the 3-month data collection period. Of those, 23 cases were completed. Twenty cases were dropped because there was no injury to a motorcycle rider or passenger or because of lack of cooperation. An additional 10 cases were not com pleted by the end of the data collection period. The collection of case controls proved to be the most challenging aspect of the study. Several approaches were used with limited success. Suggestions for improving the collec tion of control data are discussed. Although laboratory testing of crash-involved helmets is part of the OECD protocol, such testing was not conducted as part of the Pilot Study. There was no need to adapt the pro tocol for use in the United States, and thus, there was no need to evaluate the standard testing procedure. ii This report describes the process used to develop the data collection methods and tools, conduct data collection, and evaluate the results. In addition, it provides estimates of the levels of effort for various subtasks when conducting an in-depth investigation, including the related dropped cases and control group data. Recommendations for modifications to the data forms, coding manuals, training material, and database are included. The Pilot Study demonstrated that case notifications could be received from cooperating police jurisdictions within about 15 minutes, and crash investigators could be dispatched almost immediately in order to respond on-scene. Interviews with involved riders and drivers of other vehicles were obtained on average in less than 24 hours, Medical records were sometimes available almost immediately via fax, and generally within about two weeks when signed patient release forms were provided to hospitals. Autopsy reports are public records in California and were available immediately once they were completed. The average number of hours to complete a crash investigation including collecting con trol data and allowing a margin for dropped cases was about 60 hours, resulting in an av erage cost per completed case of about $7,500. It is important to note that this cost does not include the cost of developing data collection forms, a coding manual, training ma terial, databases, or field protocol. It also does not include the cost of equipment, hiring and training data collectors, or helmet testing. Likewise, the cost does not reflect efforts to obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) or from Institu tional Review Boards (IRBs). These related costs of developing and implementing a re search program are substantial. iii Table of Contents Topic Page Executive Summary ............................................................................................................ ii 1.0 Background..............................................................................................................1 2.0 Study Design............................................................................................................4 2.1 Crash Investigation ......................................................................................5 2.2 Control Group Data Collection..................................................................10 3.0 Research Methodology ..........................................................................................13 3.1 Adaptation of OECD Methods...................................................................13 3.2 Data Forms .................................................................................................13 3.3 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Approval ...............................14 3.4 Coding Manual...........................................................................................14