Impaired Motorcycle Operation: Evaluation of Riders Helping Riders Program

Development and evaluation of an instructional program to encourage motorcyclists to intervene with their motorcyclist peers to prevent them from drinking and riding are described. The program, Riders Helping Riders (RHR), is based on focus group research, which found that riders consider themselves to be united by an interest in riding and by a willingness to help other riders in need. A sense of individualism, however, limits the extent to which riders are willing to intervene in drinking and riding. RHR is intended to convince motorcyclists that an impaired rider needs their help and that they are in the best position to provide that help. The program provides a toolkit of techniques for separating drinking from riding, discouraging riders from becoming impaired, recognizing impairment, and discouraging impaired riders from riding. An optional role-playing module is included. At the end of the class, students are asked to sign a pledge to do their best to help an impaired rider live to ride another day. The program was pilot tested by the Georgia Department of Driver Services Motorcycle Safety Program from November 2005 through October 2006. It was evaluated by means of a survey of student participants and time series analyses of Georgia alcohol-involved crashes. Survey responses suggest that the program was successful in encouraging future intervention. Results of the crash analysis were inconclusive.