Safety barriers are intended to provide forgiving roadsides for vehicles leaving the roadway. However, accident statistics in various countries show that the severity of motorcyclist injury in accidents with safety barriers is high. In Israel, 13.5% fatalities and 53% serious injuries were observed in motorcycle accidents involving safety barriers compared to 1.5% and 12%, respectively, in general motorcyclist accidents. The need for making barriers more motorcycle-friendly is discussed in many countries, where a common solution includes adding motorcyclist protection systems (MPS), typically in the form of a strip covering posts and other sharp components of steel barriers. International findings show that barriers with MPS added are associated with lower injury risk for motorcyclists. However, uniform standards for MPS testing in Europe are still lacking. To promote the systematic use of MPS in Israel, a specification for approval and guidelines for the use of such devices were developed, based on a summary of the international experience. The specification relies on the assumption that the device should pass two tests demonstrating its ability to function as an MPS (according to CEN/TS 1317-8:2012 or any national standard) and one more test showing that the barrier with MPS installed continues to satisfy the demands of EN 1317-2. The guidelines provide a set of warrants on MPS use, referring to road curvature on various road types and other conditions leading to a higher probability of motorcycle collision with a barrier, due to speed differentials, reduced visibility, etc. The need for matching between MPS and barriers is emphasized. (Author/publisher)
Abstract