Increasing Motorcycle Conspicuity

It’s a widely recognised trend that powered-two-wheelers' (PTWs) use has been steadily increasing and is projected to increase further. While providing benefits to the community in the form of reduced traffic congestion and environmental benefits, the risks to PTW riders remain and visibility will always be a key issue. Increasing Motorcycle Conspicuity aims to illustrate how driving simulation, field studies and laboratory experiments can be used to improve rider safety through the design and evaluation of a range of safety measures. The book outlines the factors that contribute to PTW visibility and detection by car drivers, and presents case studies to illustrate how the various methods can be used to explore the contribution of these factors. The final chapter of the book highlights the utility of a simulation-based approach to improving PTW safety and discusses this method’s future applications. The case studies collected within the volume cover phases of the design of conspicuity treatments and provide a broad spectrum of empirical strategies for assessing the interventions. The book is most directly relevant to researchers and applied scientists from the fields of traffic/transportation psychology and human factors, as well as to practitioners from the traffic safety sector.

Previous studies in the United States and internationally suggest that low motorcycle conspicuity, or the inability of the motorcyclist to be seen by other road users, is thought to be an important factor associated with risk of motorcycle crashes. However, there has been limited research on motorcycle conspicuity in the United States in the past two decades, while at the same time; there has been a renewed interest from states in increasing motorcycle conspicuity and motorist awareness. As such, this research revisits the motorcycle conspicuity problem by analysis of helmet-use and motorcycle crash data. First, this study reviews previous studies on motorcycle conspicuity with a focus on the effectiveness of proposed measures for enhancing motorcycle conspicuity. The major trends in motorcycle helmet use by time of day and road type for motorcyclists, as indicated from three roadside observational roadside surveys in Iowa, are also discussed. Then, using motorcycle crash data for Iowa from 2001 to 2008, this research compares single-and two-vehicle motorcycle crashes and examines the distribution of conspicuity-related factors in light and dark conditions in two-vehicle crashes that could potentially relate to a collision between a motorcycle and another vehicle. The limitations of examining motorcycle conspicuity by analysis of crash data are also discussed. Finally, this report outlines recommendations based on the key findings of the study.

The annual number of motorcycle rider fatalities in the United States increased from 2294 in 1998 to 5290 in 2008 (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2010). Many multi-vehicle motorcycle crashes involve right-of-way violations where another vehicle turns in front of, or crosses the path of an on-coming motorcycle. Improving the frontal conspicuity of motorcycles with auxiliary forward lighting may reduce these types of crashes. This book describes some recent studies sponsored by NHTSA on motorcycle conspicuity.

This research investigated the impact of motorcycle headlight configurations, rider colors, and age of the drivers (participants) on motorcycle conspicuity in simulated urban and rural environments.