IMPACT OF UNLICENSED RIDERS ON MOTORCYCLE CRASH RATES AND ITS COUNTER MEASURES – A CASE STUDY AT WOLAITA ZONE, SNNPR, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Motorcycle accidents constitute a major part of traffic crashes and emerging public health problem in developing countries and contribute significantly to the overall road traffic injuries. The main aim of this research study is to evaluate the impact of unlicensed riders on motorcycle crash rates and its counter measures in the Wolaita zone that can be applicable to any other zones in Ethiopia. This study used a multiple linear regression models to analysis technique to estimate the impact of unlicensed riders on the motor cycle crashes in Wolaita zone from 2013 through 2017 using motor cycle crash data obtained from Wolaita zone districts and town administration’s office of traffic police and department of road & transport development policy. A key finding of the current investigation is that across all motorcycle-involved accidents, unlicensed riders had higher rates of crash involvement and greater levels of fatal and injury severity than legitimately riders. The impact of unlicensed riders on motor cycle crashes was calculated as deducting of the proportion of licensed rider’s involvement in accidents from the proportion of unlicensed rider’s involvements in accidents. The resultant impact of unlicensed riders on motor cycle crash rates when age of rider 25 and road width 9 meter is 29% for fatal accidents, 61.5% for serious injury accidents, and 49.4% for light injury accidents greater compared with validly licensed riders. Unlicensed riders are a high risk group requiring further attention within the total driving population. As a whole, riders tend to be over-represented in more severe road crashes. However, this pattern is particularly the case for unlicensed riders. The study finding strongly justify the use of countermeasures, including improvement of driver school numbers and standards in remote areas, creating awareness to public, motor cycle impoundment, to control unlicensed riders and to reduce crashes caused by these riders.