A qualitative exploration of the attitudes and experiences of moped and scooter riders

Increases in fatal and serious injuries involving powered two wheelers (PTWs) have largely mirrored increases and sales and usage in the United States and Australia. Moped (up to 50cc) and scooter sales in the State of Queensland, Australia, tripled in the three years to 2008 and there was a fourfold increase in reported moped crashes between 2001 and 2005. Queensland is one of the Australian jurisdictions where a moped can be legally ridden with a car licence, while a motorcycle licence is required to ride a larger capacity scooter. Currently there is limited research on moped safety in Australia, though it appears that while fatalities are relatively few, non-fatal moped rider injuries are similarly severe to those of motorcyclists. This paper reports an exploratory study of moped and scooter riders’ attitudes and experiences in Brisbane, Queensland. Four focus group discussions were held in March 2009, with a total 23 participating riders of varying age and experience. All riders agreed that economy, practicality, time-efficiency and enjoyment were motivations for moped or scooter use. There was also universal agreement on other vehicles representing the primary hazard to their safety. Compared with riders of larger scooters, moped riders without a motorcycle licence were generally less knowledgeable about safety issues and did not value rider training. These and other emergent themes are discussed in the context of their road safety implications