Countermeasures

Countermeasures to improve motorcycle safety are listed in the table below. The table is intended to provide a rough estimate of each countermeasure’s effectiveness, use, cost, and time required for implementation. Effectiveness is shown using a five-star rating system.

• Countermeasures that receive  or  have been determined to be effective.
• Countermeasures that receive  are considered promising, and likely to be effective.
• Countermeasures that receive ✩ or ✩✩ have NOT been determined to be effective, either because there is limited or no high-quality evidence (✩) or because effectiveness is undetermined based on current evidence (✩✩).

States, communities, and other organizations are encouraged to use , and especially  or , countermeasures, and to exercise caution when selecting ✩ or ✩✩ countermeasures, as these countermeasures do not have conclusive evidence on their effectiveness. When deploying a new or emerging countermeasure with unproven effectiveness, it is valuable to include an evaluation of the countermeasure in connection with its use.

Further details about the symbols and terms used are included after the table. Effectiveness, cost, and time to implement can vary substantially from State to State and community to community. Costs for many countermeasures are difficult to measure, so the summary terms are very approximate.

Each countermeasure to improve motorcycle safety is discussed individually in this chapter. Full descriptions are included for ,  and  countermeasures. Brief descriptions are included for ✩ and ✩✩ countermeasures. Further details about the ✩ and ✩✩ countermeasures are included in Appendix A5 to this report.

 

1. Motorcycle Helmets

Countermeasure	Effectiveness	Cost	Use	Time
1.1 Universal Motorcycle Helmet Use Laws		$	Medium	Short
1.2 Motorcycle Helmet Use Promotion Programs	✩	Varies	Low to Medium	Varies
1.3 Motorcycle Helmet Law Enforcement: Noncompliant Helmets	✩	$	Unknown	Medium

 

2. Alcohol Impairment

Countermeasure	Effectiveness	Cost	Use	Time
2.1 Alcohol-Impaired Motorcyclists: Detection, Enforcement, and Sanctions		Varies	Unknown	Varies
2.2 Alcohol-Impaired Motorcyclists: Communications	✩	$$	Medium	Medium

 

3. Motorcycle Rider Licensing and Training

Countermeasure	Effectiveness	Cost	Use	Time
3.1 Motorcycle Rider Licensing	✩	$	High	Medium
3.2 Motorcycle Rider Training	✩✩	$$	High	Varies

 

4. Communications and Outreach

Countermeasure	Effectiveness	Cost	Use	Time
4.1 Conspicuity and Protective Clothing	✩	Varies	High	Medium
4.2 Motorist Awareness of Motorcyclists	✩	Varies	High	Medium

 

Effectiveness:
			Demonstrated to be effective by several high-quality evaluations with consistent results
			Demonstrated to be effective in certain situations
			Likely to be effective based on balance of evidence from high-quality evaluations or other sources
✩✩			Effectiveness still undetermined; different methods of implementing this countermeasure produce different results
✩			Limited or no high-quality evaluation evidence
Effectiveness is measured by reductions in crashes or injuries unless noted otherwise.   See individual countermeasure descriptions for information on effectiveness size and how effectiveness is measured.
Cost to implement:
$$$	Requires extensive new facilities, staff, equipment, or publicity, or makes heavy demands on current resources
$$	Requires some additional staff time, equipment, facilities, and/or publicity
$	Can be implemented with current staff, perhaps with training; limited costs for equipment or facilities
These estimates do not include the costs of enacting legislation or establishing policies.
Use:
High		More than two-thirds of the States, or a substantial majority of communities
Medium		One-third to two-thirds of States or communities
Low		Less than one-third of the States or communities
Unknown		Data not available
Time to implement:
Long		More than 1 year
Medium		More than 3 months but less than 1 year
Short		3 months or less
These estimates do not include the time required to enact legislation or establish policies.

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