This paper summarizes the results of preliminary research into the feasibility of applying passenger car airbag technology to motorcycles. Preliminary work by the motorcycle industry and associated research organizations has involved: a review of the technical literature concerning motorcycle airbags; a comprehensive review and selection of injury evaluation methods, indices, and criteria needed to assess motorcycle airbag performance in the future; 19 sledge tests of a medium conventional motorcycle fitted with 2 different passenger car airbag systems; 750 computer simulations to evaluate systematically the effects of airbag design, vehicle, rider and impact parameters on airbag performance. The literature review showed that the prior research has been largely exploratory, non-systematic, and limited in methodology; and also that no work has been published on the subjects of out-of-position riders; the consequences of unintended deployment; or neck injury potential in general. Sledge test and simulation results showed that, with airbags fitted, a tradeoff exists between reduced head injury potential in some impacts, and increased neck or head injury potential in other impacts and deployments; and that the results are very sensitive to differences in impact condition and airbag design. The review of injury criteria and evaluation methods showed that clearer answers to airbag feasibility depend on development of an appropriate motorcycle airbag dummy and associated injury criteria; and a short term plan for this is described. Further computer simulation, sledge tests and full scale tests to assess four main concepts of motorcycle airbags, using expanded evaluation methods, are proposed; and the reason is continuing.
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