01595787

Component

Motorcycle injuries are a major public health burden in many developing countries. The objective of this study was to analyze the dynamics of observed motorcycle helmet usage in Nairobi, Kenya. Factors considered were grouped into categories comprising number of riders, time, day, weather condition, and passenger characteristics. A mixed binary logit analysis was done using 1134 and 2262 observations of helmet usage for driver and passenger, respectively. Driver helmet use depended on total number of riders, age, gender and luggage. As the number of riders increased, the probability of wearing a helmet reduced. Drivers carrying children or women were more likely to wear a helmet. Those that carried a luggage were less likely to wear a helmet. Passenger helmet usage depended on the number of riders, gender, day and weather conditions. As the number of riders increased, the probability of a passenger wearing a helmet reduced. Female passengers were less likely to put on helmets than their male counterparts. Children were less likely to wear a helmet on average, with some variation across the population. Finally, driver helmet usage had varying effects on passenger helmet usage. An expanded knowledge of parameters affecting helmet usage can aid in the development of targeted education and enforcement programs. Such efforts can reduce injuries and deaths from motorcycle crashes. Reducing the occurrence and severity of injuries will reduce costs associated with motorcycle crashes and foster positive economic impacts in Nairobi and potentially throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ABE90 Standing Committee on Transportation in the Developing Countries. Alternate title: Mixed Binary Logit Analysis of Motorcycle Helmet Usage: Observations in Nairobi, Kenya.

01584066

16-4243

English

14p

2016

Transportation Research Board 95th Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Figures; References; Tables

Demographics; Drivers; Motorcycle helmets; Multinomial logits; Passengers; Socioeconomic factors

Nairobi (Kenya)

Highways; Safety and Human Factors

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2016 Paper #16-4243

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Jan 12 2016 5:52PM