Technical Report Documentation Page

Drinking, Riding, and Prevention: A Focus Group Study

Les R. Becker, A. Scott McKnight, Valerie S. Nelkin, 
and Douglas L. Piper

Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation 
Calverton Office Park 
11710 Beltsville Drive, Suite 300, Calverton, Maryland 20705

DTNH22-98-D-35079

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 
400 Seventh Street, S.W. 
Washington, D. C. 20590

Motorcyclist fatalities accounted for 7 percent of the total traffic fatalities in 2000; yet, motorcycles represent less than 2 percent of all registered vehicles and only 0.4 percent of all vehicle miles traveled. Motorcyclist crash fatalities had been decreasing in the mid-to-late 1990s, until 1998 and 1999 when fatalities increased dramatically. More riders older than 40 years were dying as a result of these crashes and high BAC levels were involved. To identify effective prevention and intervention approaches, 20 motorcycle focus groups-16 Rider Groups and 4 Leadership Groups-were held in five cities or regions across the United States. The findings of these groups indicate that (1) riders often discourage their peers from riding after drinking, but a culturally reinforced respect for rider freedom and individual responsibility set boundaries for peer actions; (2) rider concern for the safety and security of the motorcycle nearly always overshadows concern for individual safety and contributes to drinking and riding; and (3) motorcycle impoundment and court-ordered payment of costs for vehicle storage, alcohol treatment programs, and other costs are considered persuasive countermeasures. The results suggest that future drinking-and-riding prevention efforts should incorporate peer approaches and social norms modeling. Crisis Intervention Techniques may be valuable in preventing already impaired riders from operating their motorcycles.

Motorcycle Riding; Motorcycling; Alcohol; Drinking and Riding; Focus Groups; Intervention Strategies; Peer Approaches; Social Norms Modeling

 Unclassifed

 Unclassified