Fatal motorcycle crashes are five per cent more likely under a full moon, U of T study finds
Published: December 15, 2017
The risk of motorcycle drivers having a fatal crash is five per cent higher on nights with a full moon and 32 per cent greater when there鈥檚 a supermoon, new research led by a University of Toronto researcher has found.
Donald Redelmeier, a professor in the department of medicine at U of T and the lead author of the study , told the Washington Post that 鈥渙ur key recommendation is that extra care is needed when riding a motorcycle under a full moon.鈥
Some possible reasons for the increase: Full moons and supermoons could be a distraction for motorists, and the change in lighting could lead them to misjudge distance and speed.
Read about how U of T researchers found motorcycle crashes were five times more deadly than car collisions
Redelmeier told the Post that the broader lesson from the study is that if a full moon can have such an impact, imagine how distracting texting while driving is.
鈥淭he research serves as a safety reminder to the millions of people who ride a motorcycle, and the millions of others who do not, that small gaps in attention can lead to irreparable consequences," he said.
Redelmeier and co-author Eldar Shafir of Princeton University analyzed four decades of data from the official United States registry of motor vehicle crashes for the study.
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