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Evaluation Of Bikesafe Scotland
CHAPTER ONE: BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION
1.1 This report presents the findings of an evaluation of the Bikesafe Scotland initiative. Bikesafe Scotland is a multi-agency initiative aimed at reducing the number and severity of crashes involving motorcyclists in Scotland and at highlighting the vulnerability of all powered two wheeled motor vehicles (TWMV). The five-year initiative was launched in 2000, and to date, the main component has been the Police Assessed Ride programme. The Assessed Ride programme involves a free on-the-road assessment of motorcycling skills from a trained Police motorcyclist in addition to theoretical advice and guidance on motorcycling skills and safety.
Background to Bikesafe Scotland
1.2 The number of motorcyclists involved in accidents each year in Scotland fell in the early 1990s but has been steadily increasing since 1997. In 2001, the number of motorcyclists injured on Scotland's roads stood at 1,174 - up from 850 in 1996. 1 The number of fatal and serious motorcycle injuries in Scotland has also risen in recent years - 453 motorcyclists were involved in fatal or serious accidents in 2001, compared with 300 in 1996.
1.3 In addition to evidence of rising casualty statistics, anecdotal evidence has highlighted the emergence of 'born again bikers' as an important development in motorcycling, both in the UK and further afield. These are motorcyclists in their late 30's and 40's who are either taking up motorcycling later in life or returning to motorcycling after a long break, often on faster and more powerful bikes than they rode when they were younger. There is some evidence that this trend is being reflected in increasing casualty figures for motorcyclists in older age groups. In 2000, there were 408 recorded accidents involving motorcyclists aged 30-39, and 175 accidents involving motorcyclists aged 40-49 - increases of 12% and 14% respectively on 1999 figures for the same age groups (based on figures from Road Accidents Scotland 2001).
1.4 The Bikesafe Scotland initiative grew out of concern at the rising numbers of motorcycle accidents in Scotland. Its basic aim is to reduce the number and severity of crashes involving motorcyclists, both locally and nationally. It also seeks to address some of the difficulties associated with the increase in 'born again bikers', by enabling these bikers to have their skills reassessed before they return to riding.
1.5 The initiative was set up by all eight Scottish Police forces in collaboration with the British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF) and the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG), representatives of whom sit on the Bikesafe Scotland Working Group. Black Horse Finance (previously Lloyds UDT, a specialist provider of motorcycle finance) also provides advice and sponsorship for the initiative, and the Scottish Road Safety Campaign (SRSC) assists with publicity support.
1.6 The precise format of the scheme varies slightly between different force areas, but the main component of the initiative to date has been the Assessed Ride programme. Typically this involves a theory session, during which participants receive advice about topics including safety equipment, defensive riding, etc., followed by an assessed ride carried out by a trained police rider. During the assessed ride, the participant is generally followed on a set route and is then de-briefed by the police rider who will give advice, pointers and observations about the rider's ability. The participant is then sent a Bikesafe certificate to show they have taken part in the scheme. Frequently, sources of further training in the area are also recommended. Assessed Rides are carried out from April to September (the main biking season), and the number of places are limited by the availability of police motorcyclists.
1.7 Coordinated enforcement initiatives are another element of Bikesafe Scotland, whereby police forces will adopt high visibility policing in areas likely to attract a high number of motorcyclists - for example, the main routes to the Knockhill racing circuit during the Superbikes weekend.
Research aims and methods
1.8 Bikesafe Scotland is entering its fourth year in 2003, and is currently scheduled to run until the end of 2004. NFO Social Research was commissioned to evaluate the effectiveness of the Bikesafe Scotland initiative in improving motorcyclists' attitudes to road safety and their riding behaviour. The evaluation is intended to provide guidance on the future format of education and publicity initiatives aimed at motorcyclists. Specific issues the research sought to address included:
- Identifying recent trends in motorcycling casualties for Scotland, including patterns in type of rider, types of roads on which accidents occur and the nature of the accident
- The impact of the Assessed Ride programme on those who participate in terms of changes in attitudes and self-reported behaviour
- Whether a voluntary scheme such as the Bikesafe Scotland Assessed Ride programme can reach those motorcyclists who arguably most need advice and guidance on safer riding
- Possible improvements to the current design of the Assessed Ride programme - what lessons can be learned from the way the scheme is run in the different force areas? What suggestions would participants make for improving the form or content of the programme?
- The resources required to sustain the Bikesafe Scotland initiative beyond 2004 - the police-led Assessed Rides are manpower intensive. What are the alternatives?
- The scope for involving other stakeholders from the motorcycle industry and community in future safety initiatives aimed at motorcyclists - could they be more involved?
The evaluation consisted of five main components.
Desk-based analysis of accident statistics
1.9 Analysis of statistics from Road Accidents Scotland was carried out in order to present a more detailed picture of motorcycle accidents in Scotland. Factors considered included the age of motorcyclists involved in accidents, the type of roads on which accidents occur and the type of maneouvres motorcyclists are carrying out when they become involved in accidents. Trends in accidents over time were also examined.
Before and after survey of 2002 Bikesafe Scotland participants
1.10 A before-and-after survey was conducted with participants who took part in the Bikesafe Scotland Assessed Ride programme between June and September 2002. Self-completion questionnaires with reply-paid envelopes were distributed by police Bikesafe representatives prior to commencement of the theory session. Completed questionnaires were returned to NFO Social Research by 324 participants. Based on June-September participation figures provided by the regional Bikesafe representatives, this represents a response rate of approximately 58% 2. These participants were then sent a further postal questionnaire approximately three months after their participation in the theory session. Post-course questionnaires were returned by 111 respondents. The total response rate for participants returning both a pre-course and a post-course survey was therefore 34%.
1.11 The main aims of this before-and-after survey were as follows:
- to examine the characteristics of participants in the Bikesafe Scotland Assessed Ride programme in terms of age, motorcycling experience, etc.
- to ascertain participants' motivation for participating in the course and to find out how they had heard about it
- to establish before and after measures of participants' self-reported riding behaviour
- to establish participants' views of the initiative and to identify any potential improvements to the course
Survey of 2001 Bikesafe Scotland participants
1.12 The third component of the evaluation involved a postal survey of people who took part in the Assessed Ride programme in 2001. The main aim of this survey was to provide some indication of riders' attitudes towards safety, risk-taking etc. some 12 months after they had completed the course. Although information about their attitudes and behaviour before they took the course was not available for this cohort, the hope was that comparisons with the results of the 'before' survey of the 2002 cohort would provide some broad indication of whether the scheme has an impact over the longer term. Questionnaires with reply paid envelopes were sent to 356 people who took part in 2001, whose addresses were supplied by Bikesafe representatives from the eight Scottish Police force areas. Completed questionnaires were returned by 167 people - a response rate of 47%.
In-depth interviews with police Bikesafe representatives and Bikesafe Scotland Working Group members
1.13 In-depth telephone interviews were carried out with representatives of the organisations involved in running Bikesafe Scotland. A total of 12 interviews were conducted between late August and early October 2002. Representatives from BMF, MAG and Blackhorse Finance were interviewed in addition to Bikesafe representatives from each of the eight Scottish Police force areas and a representative from the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) Road Policing Standing Committee.
1.14 The interviews were semi-structured and the topics varied depending on the individual respondent. Key topics included: views on the strengths and weaknesses of Bikesafe Scotland, whether Bikesafe Scotland is successful in reaching key target groups (e.g. 'Born again bikers'), and options for future safety initiatives targeting motorcyclists. The interviews with police Bikesafe representatives were also used to collect details of the operation of the Bikesafe initiative in different areas of Scotland.
In-depth interviews with stakeholders from the motorcycle industry
1.15 Finally, 15 telephone interviews were carried out with various stakeholders from the motorcycle industry. These included representatives from specialist motorcycle insurance companies, alternative providers of advanced motorcycle training in Scotland and Scottish motorcycle retailers. These interviews were intended to provide information which could help to improve the marketing and profile of Bikesafe Scotland or future motorcycle safety initiatives.
1.16 Again, the topics covered varied depending on the individual respondent. Retailers and insurers were asked whether they had heard of the Bikesafe Scotland scheme and whether they promoted it to customers in any way. They were also asked whether they ever got involved in safety initiatives targeting motorcyclists, and whether they offer, or would consider offering, discounts to riders who have participated in the Bikesafe Scotland Assessed Ride programme. Interviews with alternative training providers were used to assess the possibility of involving other training providers in future schemes aimed at promoting motorcycle safety.
1.17 Further details of research methods, response rates, questionnaire design etc. are included in Annex A.
Structure of the report
1.18 The report is structured as follows. Drawing primarily on data from Road Accidents Scotland 2001 (Scottish Executive, 2002), Chapter Two examines recent trends in motorcycle accidents in Scotland, looking at factors such as rider age, road-type and the type of manouevre involved in the accident. Chapter Three draws on interviews with police Bikesafe representatives to provide further details of the Bikesafe Scotland scheme across the eight Scottish police force areas. Chapter Four draws on findings from the pre-course survey of 2002 Bikesafe Scotland participants to present a profile of participants in the Assessed Ride scheme. Chapter Five draws on both the quantitative surveys of participants and the qualitative interviews with stakeholders to examine perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of the Bikesafe Scotland scheme. Chapter Six assesses the impact of the Bikesafe Scotland Assessed Ride programme on participants' attitudes and self-reported behaviour, based on the surveys of participants. Chapter Seven discusses issues relating to the development of Bikesafe Scotland or other motorcycle safety initiatives in the future, including who should run them and whether they should be offered as alternatives to prosecution. Finally, Chapter Eight draws some conclusions from these findings, and discusses possibilities and considerations for future initiatives and campaigns aimed at increasing the safety of motorcyclists.
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