Older Motorcyclists in Ireland

Abstract

Older motorcyclists are under-recognised as vulnerable road users. Using Irish data from the Central Statistics Office, the Road Safety Authority and the Healthcare Pricing Office, we explored the trend of ageing riders and factors in older motorcyclist collisions and injuries. In 2005, 17 motorcyclists aged 55 and over were injured compared to 31 in 2012. Motorcyclists aged between 30-49 years and 50 years and over have longer lengths of stay compared to riders <30. The percentage of motorcycles with an engine capacity of 750cc or more increased from 39.6% in 2007 to 46.7% in 2015. Older motorcyclists are less likely to be fatally injured in single vehicle collisions. Older motorcyclists are generally safer than younger riders but the proportion of older motorcyclist injury is rising. Irish road safety strategies and trauma services need to incorporate these findings into planning and development of preventive and treatment approaches.