The protagonism of motorcycles in the region

In past years, the growth of the motorcycle fleet in Latin America has increased, becoming a solution for mobility and a source of income for certain sectors of the population. However, there has been an increase in the number of injuries and death in road accidents which negatively impacts the fulfillment of the goals of the "2011-2020 action decade" for road safety in several countries in Asia and the region.

The publication "Methodology for the Preparation of Road Safety Plans for Motorcycles" highlights that in some countries the evolution of this type of transportation represents a significant percentage of the total fleet which, in some cases, may exceed 50 percent. This figure explains that motorcycles are classified as an increasingly important phenomenon due to the following factors:  

• Urban growth has not always been accompanied by an adequate planning and provision of accessible public transportation, promoting individual transportation.
• Advantages that this type of transportation offers in contrast to alternative modes: moving speed avoiding bottlenecks, door to door trips as a result of the ease to park, and low fuel consumption.
• Another factor impacting the fast penetration of motorcycles is the low cost and ease of purchase. When purchasing with credit, the daily installment is cheaper than the price of a bus ticket using public transportation.