New research has shown that in the realm of two-wheeled motorists, moped riders are involved in more accidents, motorcyclists are more than three times as likely to die on the road, and scooter riders are the safest of the three.

The study, by Queensland University of Technology’s Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety (CARRS-Q), claims to be the first to compare the safety levels of mopeds, scooters, and motorcycles.

The study distinguishes mopeds from scooters under Queensland law (also NT, SA, and WA), which permits mopeds (50cc and under, limited to 50km/h) to be ridden with just a car licence. Scooters require a motorcycle licence in all states and territories.

The distinction is significant, considering that between 2001-2009, moped registrations increased 15-fold, compared with motorcycle and scooter registrations, which merely doubled.

Also significant is that “moped crashes appear to occur at a higher rate per registered vehicle and per kilometre travelled than motorcycle crashes," CARRS-Q's Ross Blackman said.

The fact that more moped riders are crashing more often raises some concern for their relative safety, particularly considering that, the study shows, 45 percent of these moped crashes resulted in hospitalisation.

The research suggests that scooters are used for similar purposes to mopeds, but data suggests scooter riders are less likely to be involved in a crash.

Scooter riders “hold a motorcycle licence, and are therefore likely to have undertaken rider training”, Blackman said.

Motorcycles were the most lethal of the three, according to the research, with 3.4 percent of reported crashed resulting in fatality, compared with one percent of reported moped and scooter crashes.

According to the study, the difference in crash severity was related to the circumstances the vehicles were used in.

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• reply ” like !

  

  CP says,
  1 year ago

  1 like

  Did the study also find that all three vehicles had less safety features than a vintage pair of roller skates?
  • reply ” like !

    

    Carl says,
    1 year ago

    Roller skates have abs?
• reply ” like !

  

  MattW says,
  1 year ago

  3 likes

  Easily explained in 2 lines:
  - Moped riders lack the training in handling and situational awareness
  - Greater performance of motorbikes compared to scooters allows the motorbike riders to go beyond their riding limits
  • reply ” like !

    

    Head Prefect says,
    1 year ago

    1 like

    Easily explained in 2 lines:
    - Moped riders lack the training in handling and situational awareness
    - Greater performance of motorbikes compared to scooters allows the motorbike riders to go beyond their riding limits

    
    
    well said - and ditto for bicycles and cars. The greatest safety feature in all forms of transport is the ICU - i.e. the onboard computer installed between the ears. Alertness and concentration prevent collisions and single vehicle prangs.
• reply ” like !

  

  Tony H says,
  1 year ago

  What this report implies is that the accidents are all due to the rider. Well over half of motorcycle accidents are the fault of the driver of the other vehicle. Car drivers need to be alert and actually turn their heads to look, not just rely on their mirrors.
  • reply ” like !

    

    Bruce says,
    11 months ago

    "Car drivers need to be alert"...
    
    Great idea, but you might as wish for a million dollars in the lottery. No matter how badly you think car drivers should do something, they aren't going to do it.
• reply ” like !

  

  JamesC says,
  1 year ago

  1 like

  I ride a scooter and I'm glad that I don't ride a 'moped'(ie
• reply ” like !

  

  ScooterDobe says,
  1 year ago

  1 like

  I have long been of the belief that ALL Drivers ought to spend the first half year of their driving ONLY on a scooter. The reason for this is when on a small 2 wheeled vehicle, one HAS to be completely aware of where they are, who is around them and what all are doing.
  Unlike being in a super fast metal coffin. It teaches young drivers that they ARE vulnerable to everything out there as well as their own limitations.
  To my mind pushbikes ought not be on the same roads as powered vehicles but have their own paths. From my own observations, the Scooter has so much more going for it in the Safety sector as against sitting astride where legs are open to horrid damage with machine coming down on them.
• reply ” like !

  

  peter c says,
  6 months ago

  ,,Motorcycles are very fast and young men and fast bikes is not a good mix.. History confirms that young men from all cultures think they are somehow invincible and they fell they need to take on any challenge to prove themselves to their peers. High powered bikes are not designed to stick to the 50klms speed limit in metro area. What is the point of buying a high powered bike if you intend to obey the speed limits. A scooter has its dangers but an average 125cc is designed to comfortably operate at metro average speeds. This means a rider travelling slower on a scooter has more time to react to any dangerous hazards. Motorcycle riders make the point that they can accelerate away from any dangerous situation this maybe true but a high percentage of motorbikes accidents are running into things or loosing control on bends. Sure car drivers can cause problems to bike riders but the statistics show that scooter riders have a better chance of overcoming these problems.