Citation

Weinblatt H. Transp. Res. Rec. 2011; 2256: 87-94.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences USA, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.3141/2256-11

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Recent increases in motorcycle fatalities, in the rate of motorcycle fatalities per vehicle mile of travel (VMT), and in the ratio of estimated motorcycle VMT to motorcycle registrations have resulted in greater attention to motorcycle safety and to related motorcycle statistics. Technologies that are currently used for collecting counts of vehicles by vehicle class or that have been proposed for use in counting motorcycles are reviewed. Available information about the quality of motorcycle counts produced by these technologies is discussed. Several recommendations for improving the quality of motorcycle counts and count-based VMT estimates for Class 1 vehicles are included. Also discussed are some factors that are likely to have contributed to the observed divergence between the growth rates of motorcycle registrations and those of motorcycle VMT estimates. The use of registration or insurance company data, or both, for estimating VMT of these vehicles without the use of count data is briefly discussed.