Which unsafe riding behaviours are associated with traffic offences and crashes? A study of young Indonesian motorcyclists

Indonesia has high motorcycle dependence, especially among young riders who rely on them for access to education. The number of young riders aged 15–19 involved in crashes is higher than in any other age group. Despite this, there have been limited attempts to comprehensively understand the behaviour of these road users. This study is the first to use the Motorcycle Rider Behaviour Questionnaire (MRBQ) to determine which rider behaviours may predict crash risk in an Indonesian population. In addition, the impact of demographic variables such as age, gender, licensing status (licensed or unlicensed) and area of residence (urban or rural) on young Indonesian riders (N = 7,081) crash risk was also examined. Negative binomial regression analysis revealed that crash risk was positively associated with both intentional and unintentional unsafe behaviours, including “errors”, “speed”, and “unsociable riding”. Interestingly, a common theme in the “errors” identified involved the participant not paying attention to their surroundings. This suggests that even though these errors may be unintentional, there is a possibility to develop targeted safety interventions, such as combined rider awareness and riding skills training. Finally, the results revealed that many of those surveyed were riding on public roads before they reached the legal age for riding, and failed to obtain a license even when they could legally do so. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the factors affecting the safety of young motorcyclists in Indonesia, taking into account the culture and environmental considerations unique to this country.