Examining risky riding behavior in India using Motorcycle rider behavior questionnaire

Powered two-wheelers (PTW) constitute the most vulnerable type of road user, primarily due to their lack of protection compared to other motorized vehicles, which can lead to a severe accident in the event of crashes. A notable increase in the percentage of PTW accidents resulting in fatalities has raised a serious need for further research in understanding riding behavior. The Motorcycle rider behavior questionnaire (MRBQ) based studies have shown promising results by using MRBQ to relate riding behavior with crash risk. Despite numerous studies using the MRBQ technique and inconsistency in derived inferences across the studies highlighted the need to revise MRBQ and carry out predictive validity for capturing the correct riding behavior of Indian riders. Therefore, this research modified the previously available questionnaire by considering the focus group's opinion, consisting of twenty professional riders, two transportation experts, and two traffic police officers. Additionally, the predictive validity check of MRBQ was carried out using a sample of Indian riders consisting of 392 participants. The exploratory factor analysis of the MRBQ revealed a 32 item version of the questionnaire divided into a four-factor structure (traffic errors, control errors, speed violations, and stunts). The present research highlighted some critical dissimilarities between PTW riders of India and other countries. The low mean score (based on the Likert scale) of the items under the four-factor structure indicated overall a safe PTW rider behavior of Indian riders. Among the four factors, speed violation showed the highest mean score and stunts showed the least mean score indicating frequent and infrequent aberrant ridding behaviors, respectively. A known group construct validity check revealed that gender had a significant and age an insignificant effect on the reporting of aberrant riding behaviors. Furthermore, a negative binomial regression analysis revealed that traffic error had the highest incidence rate ratio, confirming it to be the most significant predictor of crash risk for Indian riders. Finally, the study briefly discussed counter-measure strategies targeting specific riding behavior.