Road user behaviour is generally considered to be the most significant contributor to any road crash. Speed, alcohol and fatigue together with use of seatbelts and helmets are the main focus of most road safety campaigns.

In NSW, 18% of all fatal crashes were associated with alcohol, 38% with speed and 20% with fatigue. However these factors account for less than one third of all non-fatal injury crashes. There are a range of other less easily documented factors which also play a part in road crashes. These include driver attitude and attention to the driving task as well as poor driving habits such as failing to check mirrors and over the shoulder before changing lanes or driving too close to the vehicle in front. There are also various forms of in-car distraction such as eating, smoking, changing radio stations or cds and using mobile phones, all of which also contribute to crashes.

A recent study found that drivers speaking on a mobile phone were more dangerous than drivers with an illegal blood alcohol level. While hands free phones were safer than hand held, even drivers with hands free phones still missed significantly more road warning signs than when drunk. The researchers concluded that the danger is not due to steering with one hand, but to the divided attention while speaking on a phone (Direct Line Motor Insurance, Mobile Phone Report, 2002).

The key risk factors associated with motorcycle crashes are:

• Aged under 26
• Unlicensed/Unregistered
• Speed
• Other drivers
• Fatigue
• Alcohol
• No helmet

The table below shows the proportion of NSW motorcycle crashes that were associated with one of these factors between 2003-07. The table distinguishes between licensed and unlicensed riders and those whose license status was unknown. For example, 5% of riders in crashes had illegal alcohol levels, but these included only 4% of licensed riders where as 23% of unlicensed and 8% of those with unknown status had illegal alcohol levels.