Abstract
Motorcycles are a ubiquitous form of transportation. They are fast, efficient, and ideal for navigating dense and traffic-filled urban areas. Riding a motorcycle can bring pleasure, though it comes with the risk of being extremely dangerous if the rider is not equipped with the appropriate skills, attitudes and behaviours. In Singapore, the incidents of motorcycle injuries and mortality rate are significantly disproportionate to that of other road users. For instance, based on data from 2019, motorcycles made up for only 14 percent of Singapore’s vehicle population and yet, motorcyclists and pillion riders accounted for 50 percent of reported road traffic injuries and deaths. This figure increased to 56.1 percent in 2022, despite a stable population of motorcycles. With these alarming figures, it is evident there is still much to understand about motorcycle safety culture in Singapore. A thorough analysis of the motorcycle safety culture in Singapore would enable a better understanding of the potential causes behind these figures and offer concrete measures to improve safety outcomes for motorcyclists in Singapore. This dissertation has two broad goals: 1) Exploration and discovery of the current state of motorcycle safety culture in Singapore and, 2) Implementation of a communications intervention to improve motorcycle safety culture in Singapore. This research aims to identify what constitutes a safe motorcyclist in the Singaporean context and identify gaps in the current motorcycle safety communications landscape. A qualitative mixed methods approach was used to investigate and analyse motorcycle safety culture in Singapore. Methods used include an ethnographic participant-observation, structured interviews, and content analysis of social media. This study looks at the implications of community, masculinity and normative behaviours on motorcycle safety culture in Singapore.