Investigation of Available Data towards the Development of Hardware Installation Guideance for Motorcycle Roadside Safety

Abstract

Chapter 4 of the research report presents the results of a literature review and preliminary data assessment of crash data for hardware installation guidance to improve motorcyclist safety. The literature review results were used to identify noteworthy roadside protection systems addressing motorcyclist safety. Most of these systems do not specifically address motorcyclist safety, however they are expected to improve motorcyclist safety in terms of reducing crash severity and include motorcycle barriers, post protectors, sigma post, nu-guard, rumble strips and delineation. The exploratory analysis revealed interesting patterns and trends in the crash data involving fixed objects, but further evaluation is needed to assess the crashworthiness of roadside systems in reducing the severity of motorcycle involved crashes. This next step involves the development and application of advanced statistical models that capitalize on data sourced from multiple states.