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Motorcycling attitudes and behaviours. II. 14 and 15 year old adolescents
Author(s) -
REEDER A. I.,
CHALMERS D. J.,
LANGLEY J. D.,
BEGG D. J.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
journal of paediatrics and child health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.631
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1440-1754
pISSN - 1034-4810
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1754.1992.tb02698.x
Subject(s) - medicine , injury prevention , suicide prevention , occupational safety and health , clothing , poison control , recall , human factors and ergonomics , demography , physical therapy , medical emergency , psychology , archaeology , pathology , sociology , cognitive psychology , history
Of 846 adolescents interviewed near their 15th birthday, 51% could drive a motorcycle. A further 13% intended to learn. Drivers reported friends (mean age 16.5 years) as the most common source of instruction. Forty‐four per cent of drivers and 69% of intending learners planned to apply for licences. Thirty‐five per cent of the sample had driven or ridden as passengers on a motorcycle on‐road in the past year and 85% of these had worn a helmet on the last occasion. The commonest cause of injuries to motorcyclists resulting in hospitalization (lower limb injury) was correctly identified by 52% of the sample. Fear of injury was the reason given for not learning to ride by 55% of confirmed non‐drivers. Fifteen medically treated motorcycling injuries were reported for a 2‐year recall period. Females reported significantly less exposure and less use of protective clothing than males. The issues of initiation, training, constraints on use and preventive strategies are discussed.