Licensing Novice Motorcyclists: A Comparison of the Traffic Safety Impact of California's Standard Test and the MOST 2 (Motorcycle Operator Skill Test) Administered at Centralized Testing Offices

摘要

Applicants for an original California motorcycle license or endorsement were randomly assigned either to a group required to pass the MOST II motorcycle skill test to be licensed, or a group required to pass the standard California skill test. Skill tests were administered at 8 of the 29 Department of Motor Vehicles field offices involved in the study; the 21 other (feeder) offices referred applicants to the testing offices for administration of the appropriate skill test. All offices administered written tests and issued instruction permits to applicants who passed. MOST II subjects who made application at testing offices had 18% more motorcycle accidents and 9% more motorcycle convictions during the first year subsequent to license application than their testing office counterparts assigned to the standard California program. Both differences were statistically significant. There was no evidence of a difference between MOST II and standard test applicants identified at feeder offices. Based on these results, it is recommended that the Department not use the MOST II as a method of testing and licensing motorcycle operators.