Motorcyclists are a minority of road users, and most of their collisions are with cars. It is not feasible to have separate traffic lanes for motorcycles, cars, and lorries, so that the best that can be done is to reduce the probability of conflict and ensure compatibility between the structures of motorcycles and other vehicles; this can be difficult. The EEVC has considered possibilities for protective guards at the front of cars and lorries, that could reduce the severity of collisions with motorcycles. Roadside furniture, especially safety fences and crash barriers, can present severe hazards for motorcyclists; the severity can be reduced by using Sigma posts instead of standard IPE-100 posts. The effects of concrete or wire rope safety fences on motorcycle safety do not yet seem to have been studied. The following road surface conditions can endanger motorcyclists: slippery surfaces, repaired patches on roads, unevenness, road markings, longitudinal parallel grooves, the use of cobbles, and drain covers and gratings. Traffic signal settings, especially the time gaps between red and green phases, are set according to the acceleration and deceleration potential of two-tracked vehicles. This criterion does not adversely affect motorcyclists under good road and weather conditions, but it is not always adequate in bad conditions.
Abstract