A study was conducted in the United Kingdom to “gain an understanding of motorcyclists’ attitudes to safety and the reasons behind the decisions that impact on their safety” (Christmas et al. 2009). Among the study objectives was to explore how riders choose their protective clothing and helmets. The study classified motorcyclists into seven segments by motivation, based on quantitative and qualitative research: performance disciples, performance hobbyists, riding disciples, riding hobbyists, car rejecters, car aspirants, and look-at-me enthusiasts. Two critical segments of riders were identified: car aspirants, who were young people who ride a motorcycle because they cannot afford a car, and look-at-me enthusiasts, who were young riders for whom riding is about self-expression and looking cool. These two segments had the highest crash propensity and were less likely than other segments to think about the risks of riding without a safe helmet and gear. Looking cool ranked highly in the choice of both helmet and gear, compared to safety, especially for the look-at-me enthusiasts.
