Motorcyclist collisions with roadside barrier motorcyclist protection systems

In Australia, around 12 motorcyclists per annum are fatally injured following a collision with a roadside barrier. With a goal of reducing such trauma, the Australian and New Zealand Road Safety Barrier Systems and Devices Standard (AS/NZS 3845.1:2014) recently introduced a crash test requirement for ‘motorcyclist protection systems’, intended to improve the safety of roadside barriers for motorcyclists. The crash test is based on the European CEN technical specification (CEN/TS 1317-8:2012). However, there are some limitations to such crash testing, including the biofidelity of the anthropomorphic test device (ATD) and the fact that only one collision orientation is tested. The aim of the present study is to provide information regarding the effectiveness of motorcyclist protection systems under a variety of field-observed collision scenarios. Finite element simulations of a human body model sliding into a roadside barrier with a rub-rail system were undertaken. Two different impact orientations, three impact angles and four impact speeds were considered. It is shown that the injury potential of the W-beam barrier is substantially reduced with the rub-rail, where motorcyclist serious thoracic and head-neck injuries are likely prevented for most sliding collision orientations, except those at the highest angles and speeds. It is envisaged that the present simulation results will complement existing test data using ATDs, providing substantive information to regulators and road authorities confirming the large injury reduction potential of rub-rail systems, thereby promoting their installation and assisting in reducing trauma related to motorcyclist collisions with roadside barriers.

• Record URL:
  http://acrs.org.au/publications/acrs-conference-papers/acrs-database/
• Authors:
  • Bambach, M
  • Grzebieta, R
• Conference:
  • Australasian Road Safety Conference, 1st, 2015, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
• Publication Date: 2015-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 4p
• Monograph Title: Taking action together: 1st Australasian Road Safety Conference (ARSC2015), 14-16 October, Gold Coast, Queensland

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Beams; Crash tests; Crashes; Guardrails; Injuries; Injury severity; Motorcyclists; Standardization; Standards
• Uncontrolled Terms: Safe systems (roads)
• Geographic Terms: Australia
• ATRI Terms: Australian standard; Crash test; Injury severity; Motorcyclist; Safety fence; W beam
• ITRD Terms: 1686: Safety fence; 1623: Severity (accid, injury)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I84: Personal Injuries; I85: Safety Devices used in Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01591441
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• Files: ITRD, ATRI
• Created Date: Feb 26 2016 9:24AM