Strategic and Tactical Choices as a Basis for Understanding Motorcyclists

This study examines the risks motorcyclists face in traffic, focusing on intersections and curves, through in-depth interviews with 62 motorcyclists. It investigates how knowledge of multi-vehicle accidents influences motorcyclists' behavior and information gathering.
The motorcyclists were divided into three groups: Group 1 (less than 3 years of riding experience), Group 2 (more than 3 years of riding experience), and Group 3 (professional connection to motorcycling). Group 3 expressed more consistent strategies compared to Groups 1 and 2, which often had unclear assessments.
Interaction and preventive riding are crucial in motorcycle training. Group 3 was more proactive and better prepared for conflict situations. Regarding curve riding, Group 3 showed a better understanding of normal positioning and maneuvering space, while Groups 1 and 2 had greater trust in other road users and were less consistent in their strategies.
In terms of speed choices, Group 3 showed greater awareness of speed reduction in curves and had a better tactical repertoire. Groups 1 and 2 described strategies with increasing speed through curves but showed the ability to adjust speed when necessary.
Braking in curves was seen as a risk factor by Groups 1 and 2, while Group 3 viewed it as a tactical tool. Group 3 had a more nuanced understanding of braking in curves and used it as part of their tactical repertoire. These findings highlight the importance of riding experience and training to improve motorcyclists' safety and reduce accident risk. The research question was: "To what extent will different levels of experience influence self-awareness and stated descriptions of tactical and strategic choices?". The research question was: "To what extent will different levels of experience influence self-awareness and stated descriptions of tactical and strategic choices?"

Keywords: Motorcyclists, Self-awareness, Tactical choices, Strategic choices.