EFFECTIVENESS OF TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE SIDE AND REAR CONSPICUITY OF MOTORCYCLES AND MOPEDS

A variety of on-vehicle techniques intended to improve the sideward and rearward conspicuity of motorcycle and mopeds were tested under both laboratory and real-world conditions. The research was performed for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Motorcycle and moped accident data from several states and from NHTSA's Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) were reviewed and analyzed. A number of key parameters concerning vehicle, operator, and environmental conditions were identified. These parameters were used to define the requirements for conspicuity aids and to create conceptual designs for lighting and reflectorization of the vehicles. A panel of motorcycle, moped, and highway safety experts reviewed the various designs, enabling the selection of the most promising treatments for further testing. A laboratory experiment that simulated the appearance of prototypes of each of the treatments enabled elimination of all but the most effective designs from further testing under real-world conditions. The best devices were tested in traffic on both urban and rural roads during daylight and darkness to determine the extent to which they improved the conspicuity of a test motorcycle and moped.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Proceedings of the 26th Annual Conference of the American Association for Automotive Medicine, October 4-6, 1982, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
• Corporate Authors:

  American Association for Automotive Medicine

  P.O. Box 222
  Morton Grove, IL  United States  60053
• Authors:
  • Freedman, M
• Conference:
  • 26th Annual Conference of the American Association for Automotive Medicine
  • Location: Ottawa Ontario, Canada
  • Date: 1982-10-4 to 1982-10-6
• Publication Date: 1982

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 97-115
• Monograph Title: PROCEEDINGS 26TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE, OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, OCTOBER 4-6, 1982
• Serial:
  • Issue Number: 26

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Days; Measures of effectiveness; Mopeds; Motorcycles; Night; Rear lighting; Reflectorized materials; Rural areas; Urban areas; Vehicle design; Vehicle lighting; Visibility
• Uncontrolled Terms: Effectiveness; Side
• Old TRIS Terms: Rear lights; Reflectorization
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00373639
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jun 30 1983 12:00AM