Motorcycle User Casualties (in Wales)

This statistical bulletin looks at motorcyclist road traffic casualties in Wales. The first aim of this bulletin is to look at the extent to which motorcyclists face an extra risk when using the road compared with other road users. The second aim is to set out the circumstances associated with motorcyclist casualties.

The bulletin assesses the relationship between motorcycles and road casualties in Wales. It presents information about:

• Relative risk for motorcyclists.
• Motorcyclist casualties by age and sex.
• The category of motorcycle, by engine size, that the casualty was riding.
• Time of accidents involving motorcyclists, by month and day of week.
• The local conditions; by light and weather.
• Motorcyclist casualties by junction location.
• Motorcyclist casualties by local authority area.

Summary of findings:

• The chance of a motorcycle rider being killed or seriously injured, per kilometre travelled, is around 53(r) times greater than for a car driver.

• Out of a group of 100 typical motorcyclists in Wales, the statistical expectation is that one of this group will be killed or seriously injured in 19(r) months of driving (‘How risky is motorcycling?’).

• In the early 1980s, motorcyclist casualty levels in Wales were more than four times higher than the most recent casualty levels.

• Since the mid-1990s casualty levels have remained approximately the same

• Since 2000 approximately 90% of motorcyclist casualties are male.

• Since the late 1990s, casualties aged 30 and over have exceeded those aged under 30.

• The highest number of motorcyclist casualties were in Powys (11% of the total) followed by Carmarthenshire, Cardiff , Swansea, and Pembrokeshire.

• Around three out of five of motorcyclist casualties in Wales as a whole rode machines with an engine capacity of over 500cc. This group accounted for 84% of casualties in the Vale of Glamorgan and 82% in Powys.

Compared with car occupant casualties, motorcyclist casualties were:

• More likely to occur in the spring/summer and less likely to occur in winter;
• More likely to occur at weekends;
• Slightly more likely to occur in daylight;
• Slightly more likely to occur in fine weather;
• More likely to occur at a junction.