Abstract: In many developing countries motorcycles are used not only for personal travel (commuting, leisure, etc.) but also to deliver documents and small commodities (e.g., food) or to provide taxi services. Incomes of these commercial motorcyclists are generally based on the number of services they are able to provide within a given amount of time. Some have suggested that this incentive might induce commercial motorcyclists to engage in risky behaviors – that is they might be more likely to drive fast and break traffic laws in order to maximize income. To empirically test for differences between commercial and non-commercial motorcyclists, I estimated a logistic regression model using data from a survey conducted in Bogota and Barranquilla, Colombia. My results support the hypothesis that motorcycles used for commercial activities and whose income is generally based on the number of services they are able to provide are at a higher risk of being involved in a crash. The probability of being involved in a crash is higher when using motorcycles for taxi services than when using motorcycles for non-commercial purposes or for commercial activities other than courier or taxi services (after controlling for exposure, demographic characterizes, vehicle features, and other possible explanatory variables, though this finding may be affected by a possible reporting bias by those providing (illegal) taxi services). By contrast, motorcyclists who provide courier services have neither a higher nor lower probability of being involved in a crash compared to those riding motorcycles for non-commercial purposes or for commercial activities other than courier or taxi services. Other variables associated with crash occurrence include age, owning the motorcycle, and riding in Bogota. While I see evidence that the financial incentives of being paid per job motivate risky driving behaviors among commercial motorcyclists, better data and further research are needed to fully understand the causes of differential crash risks among types of motorcyclists. Resumen: En muchos países en desarrollo, las motocicletas se usan no solo para viajes personales (viajes diarios, tiempo libre, etc.) sino también como herramienta de trabajo para realizar reparto de documentos y paquetes pequeños (por ejemplo, alimentos) o para proporcionar servicios de transporte de pasajeros. Los ingresos de estos motociclistas generalmente se basan en la cantidad de servicios que pueden proporcionar dentro de un período de tiempo determinado. Algunos han sugerido que este incentivo puede inducir a los motociclistas comerciales a involucrarse en conductas de riesgo, es decir, que es más probable que conduzcan más rápido y que no cumplan las leyes de tránsito para maximizar sus ingresos. Para evaluar empíricamente las diferencias entre los motociclistas comerciales y no comerciales, estimé un modelo de regresión logística utilizando los datos de una encuesta realizada en Bogotá y Barranquilla, Colombia. Mis resultados respaldan la hipótesis de que las motocicletas utilizadas para actividades comerciales y cuyos ingresos generalmente se basan en la cantidad de servicios que pueden proporcionar corren un mayor riesgo de verse involucrados en un choque. La probabilidad de verse involucrado en un choque es mayor cuando se usan motocicletas para servicios de taxi que cuando se usan para fines no comerciales o para actividades comerciales que no sean de mensajería o taxi (después de controlar por exposición, características demográficas, características del vehículo y otros posibles variables explicativas, aunque este hallazgo puede verse afectado por un posible sesgo de información por parte de quienes prestan servicios de taxi (ilegales). Por el contrario, los motociclistas que prestan servicios de mensajería no tienen una probabilidad mayor o menor de verse involucrados en un choque en comparación con aquellos que conducen motocicletas con fines no comerciales o para actividades comerciales que no sean los servicios de mensajería o taxi. Otras variables asociadas con la ocurrencia del choque incluyen la edad, poseer la motocicleta y andar en Bogotá. Aunque la evidencia sugiere que los incentivos económicos derivados de la actividad motivan conductas de conducción arriesgadas entre los motociclistas comerciales, es necesario investigar en mayor profundidad las causas de los riesgos de choque diferencial entre los tipos de motociclistas.

Out of the abyss...and into oblivion! Gilad Anni-Padda, the Eternal Warrior, has sacrificed his humanity for the betterment of the Earth. Empowered with the gift to recover from any wound - and even death itself - he has waged an endless crusade to guide the path of civilization through the ages. But as the centuries pass and his list of battlefield victories grows, he is fated to always reap the same sad reward: to see his families, his children, and all his loved ones...age, wither, and die... Now, the Eternal Warrior will be presented with a choice that could end his grief forever. An opportunity to resurrect the fallen sons and daughters that he believed forever lost. But this chance for peace and happiness will come at a terrible cost... and in service to an evil far greater than any Gilad has faced before... New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti (Hal Jordan & The Green Lantern Corps) and acclaimed artist Robert Gill (BOOK OF DEATH) push the Eternal Warrior to the fiery crossroads of guilt and redemption for a wicked series finale! Collecting WRATH OF THE ETERNAL WARRIOR #11-14.