Overview of motorcycle crash fatalities involving road safety barriers

Previous research indicates around 8 per cent of New South Wales motorcycle fatalities involve a roadside barrier. No studies have been done for all of Australia. Many myths still pervade concerning how injuries occur when a motorcycle strikes a roadside barrier. The main reason is that there have been relatively few recent real world studies of such crashes where "in depth" detailed analysis of the factors leading up to the crash and the injury mechanisms have been thoroughly investigated. Physics dictates that a rider/pillion passenger travelling at speeds at around 60 km/h or more impacting a crash barrier is at a very high risk of a fatal injury, regardless of whether the barrier is concrete, steel or wire rope. Obviously the human body is not designed for such high severity impacts, in the absence of any additional safe system components. This paper presents some preliminary findings from a major research project currently underway at UNSW's Injury Risk Management Research Centre. Statistical characteristics from an investigation of motorcycle fatal crashes for the years 2001 to 2006 extracted from the National Coroners Information System (NCIS), are presented. The issues of survivability and motorcycle rider injury reduction strategies are also discussed and observations concerning typical crash scenarios are provided.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/9781921692260
• Authors:
  • Grzebieta, R
  • Jama, H
  • McIntosh, A
  • Friswell, R
  • Favand, J
  • Attard, M
  • Smith, R
• Conference:
  • Australasian Road Safety Research Policing Education Conference, 2009, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
• Publication Date: 2009-11

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 15p
• Monograph Title: 2009 Australian Road Safety Research, Policing and Education Conference, Wednesday 11 to Friday 13 November 2009, Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour, New South Wales, Australia

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash analysis; Fatalities; Guardrails; Highway safety; Motorcyclists; Statistical analysis
• Uncontrolled Terms: Road safety (engineering and vehicles)
• Geographic Terms: New South Wales
• ATRI Terms: Crash analysis; Fatality; Injury prevention; Motorcyclist; Road safety; Safety fence; Statistical analysis
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01381943
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• ISBN: 9781921692260
• Files: ATRI
• Created Date: Aug 22 2012 12:54PM