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IHIE GUIDELINES FOR MOTORCYCLING

improving safety through

engineering and integration

IHIE GUIDELINES FOR MO

T

O

RCY

Published by the Institute of Highway Incorporated Engineers

Designed and produced by

WDH Publishing Services Ltd, Essex

Printed in England by HQ Media Services Ltd, Essex

Published April 2005

All rights reserved. No part of this publication shall be reproduced,

copies stored in an electronic retrieval system or transmitted without the written

permission of the publishers.

© 2005 The Institute of Highway Incorporated Engineers

ISBN: 0 9542875 1 7

Disclaimer:

The Institute of Highway Incorporated Engineers and the members of the Steering Group which produced these Guidelines have endeavoured to ensure the accuracy of its contents. However, the guidance and recommendations given should always be reviewed by those using the guidance in the light of the facts of their particular case and specialist advice should be obtained as necessary. No liability for negligence or otherwise in relation to these Guidelines and its contents can be accepted by the Institute, the members of the Steering Group, its servants or agents.

IHIE GUIDELINES

FOR MOTORCYCLING

improving safety through

engineering and integration

Motorcycling has an important role to play within the transport

system and trends show that it is becoming increasingly

popular. The growth of motorcycling demonstrates that Central

Government needs to have policies in place for this mode of

transport and we began to address that shortly after coming

into office. The White Paper on the future of transport, A New

Deal for Transport: Better for Everyone, recognised some of the

benefits offered by motorcycling. However, it also recognised

that the role of motorcycling within transport policy raises

some complex issues. We have to acknowledge that

motorcyclists are our most vulnerable road users. Unfortunately,

with the increase in motorcycle use has come a significant rise

in motorcycle casualties.

The Government’s Motorcycling Strategy was recently published. This builds on the work of

the Advisory Group for Motorcycling (AGM), which the Government convened in 1999 and

whose final report was published in 2004. The strategy aims to address a wide range of

issues which will ensure that motorcycling is facilitated as a mode choice within a safe and

sustainable framework. I therefore welcome the IHIE Guidelines designed to fill the gap,

identified by the AGM Integration and Traffic Management Task Force, for advice on how

to provide for safer motorcycling on the road network

Engineers and planners need to be aware of motorcycling issues and to take them into

account in transportation projects. If guidance is not available, and motorcycles are

overlooked, the safety of the rider may be compromised, possibly with serious

consequences.

The Institute of Highway Incorporated Engineers celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. I

very much welcome its work in providing guidance and training for practitioners in all

aspects of highway and transportation design and management and these Guidelines in

particular.

David Jamieson MP

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State

Department for Transport

Motorcycle traffic has grown by around 50% over the last ten

years and, with around 1.5m machines in use, it is clear that

motorcycles, scooters and mopeds are very much part of the UK

transport system

However, few engineers recognise that motorcycles behave and

use the road very differently to four-wheeled vehicles and that

riders face hazards not apparent to car drivers.

Drawing on the combined expertise of engineers, road safety

officers and motorcyclists IHIE has published these Guidelines,

the first in the UK. Their purpose is to demonstrate the role

motorcycling can play in an integrated transport system and to

assist highway and traffic engineers in delivering a safer and

more motorcycle-friendly road environment. We are extremely grateful to the editorial

team led by Vice President, Anthony Sharp, for their dedication and to all who contributed

during the consultation process for their assistance

The Government’s Motorcycling Strategy is very much to be welcomed and IHIE’s Guidelines

address and extend several aspects of that strategy. Correctly incorporated into Local

Transport Plans motorcycling can help in addressing the Government’s four key targets:

reducing congestion, improving road safety, enhancing air quality and tackling social

inclusion (accessibility).

Obviously the Guidelines do not claim to solve all problems but we hope that by

highlighting both the hazards and good practice that engineers, planners and road safety

officers will be better equipped to improve the road and reduce casualties.

The Guidelines highlight areas for further research or investigation. We would therefore

very much welcome feedback on new developments and on the application of these

Guidelines as we are committed to future revisions.

Go to

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/ihie_guidelines/

On behalf of the IHIE I commend the Guidelines for Motorcycling to all with a professional

interest in the integration of motorcycling into national and local transport policies. I am

confident that policy makers and engineers alike will develop innovative and radical

solutions to incorporating motorcycles into a 21st century transport system.

Gerry Harvey IEng FIHIE

President IHIE

2004–2006

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Institute of Highway Incorporated Engineers would like to thank the following people without whom this document would not have been possible:

Managing Editor Mike Mounfield

Steering Group Anthony Sharp, IHIE (Chairman) David Brown, Highways Agency

Nich Brown, Motor Cycle Industry Association Craig Carey-Clinch, Motor Cycle Industry Association Marilyn Cranfield, Transport for London

Richard Olliffe, British Motorcyclists Federation Suku Phull, Department for Transport

Steve Proctor, TMS Consultancy

Alan Tilly, Transport Research Laboratory Judith Walker, IHIE

Rosemary Welch, County Surveyors’ Society

Editorial Consultants Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick & Co Ltd (Mike Mounfield, John Moss, John Cole, Kevin Smith, Julia Stubbs, Naomi Dunn)

Scoping Study Transport Research Laboratory

Organisations and individuals British Parking Association

consulted who responded with Cyclists’ Touring Club

comments: Department for Regional Development, Northern Ireland Department for Transport

Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) FORSTA

Highways Agency

Institute of Lighting Engineers Institution of Civil Engineers LARSOA

Motorcycle Action Group Motor Cycle Industry Association Professor Marcus Wigan

Quarry Products Association Roadsafe

ROSPA RTPI

Scottish Executive

plus all the delegates at the Consultation Workshops on 4 October 2004

Document Designer Wendy Hooper, WDH Publishing Services Ltd

Financial Support provided by The BMF Foundation County Surveyors’ Society Department for Transport Highways Agency

Institute of Highway Incorporated Engineers MCIA

Transport for London

Motorcyclists David Bowers

CONTENTS

PAGE NUMBER

PREFACE

2

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Transport

FOREWORD

3

President of the Institute of Highway Incorporated Engineers

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

7

1.1 The Scope of the Guidelines 7

1.2 Naming Conventions 9

1.3 Types of Motorcycle 9

1.4 Increasing Motorcycle Use 10

1.5 Motorcycle Safety 11

1.6 Tacking action 14

1.7 The Government’s Motorcycling Strategy 14

CHAPTER 2 POLICY

15

2.1 Key Points 15

2.2 Context 15

2.3 Integrating Motorcycling into Transport Policies and Strategies 16

2.4 Consulting with Riders 18

2.5 Travel Plans and Motorcycles 19

2.6 Motorcycle Security 19

2.7 Policy is Vital 19

CHAPTER 3 TRAVEL

PLANS

21

3.1 Key Points 21

3.2 Context 21

3.3 Potential Benefits of an Increase in Motorcycle Use 21

3.4 Incentive Schemes 23

3.5 Issues to Consider 24

3.6 Provision 25

CHAPTER

4

ROAD DESIGN AND TRAFFIC ENGINEERING

27

4.1 Key Points 27

4.2 Context 27

4.3 Road Design 27

4.4 Traffic Engineering 32

CHAPTER 5 MOTORCYCLE

PARKING

37

5.1 Key Points 37

5.2 Context 37

5.3 Assessing Demand 38

5.4 Motorcycle Rider Parking Behaviour and Requirements 40 5.5 Identifying Motorcycle Parking Resources 41

5.6 Practical Design Issues 42

5.7 Parking Standards and Dimensions 45 Checklist for Motorcycle Parking Design 47

Useful Weblinks 48

CHAPTER 6 ROAD

MAINTENANCE

51

CHAPTER

7

ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGNS

57

7.1 Key Points 57

7.2 Context 57

7.3 Education 57

7.4 The Role of Training 58

7.5 Co-operative Working 58

7.6 Determining the Target Audience and the Message 59

7.7 Campaign Examples 60

7.8 Resources 64

7.9 Complementing Other Road Safety Campaigns 64

7.10 Evaluation 65

CHAPTER

8

MOTORCYCLES AND TRAFFIC CALMING

67

8.1 Key Points 67

8.2 Context 67

8.3 Design 67

8.4 Materials 69

8.5 Maintenance 71

CHAPTER

9

MOTORCYCLING AND ROAD SAFETY AUDIT

73

9.1 Key Points 73 9.2 Context 73 9.3 Accident Characteristics 74 9.4 Dynamics 74 9.5 Dynamic Implications 75 9.6 Urban Schemes 77 9.7 Rural Schemes 78

APPENDIX 1

REFERENCES

79

1.1 The Scope of these Guidelines

Motorcycles and policy

1.1.2All modes of transport have strengths and weaknesses; good practice demands the framing and implementation of policies to maximise the strengths and minimise the weaknesses. Motorcycles have long provided a cost-effective and relatively low-polluting form of transport for commuting, work or leisure purposes. Despite riders being susceptible to serious injury even in low-speed collisions, the specific safety needs of motorcycles with their reliance on an adequate and consistent friction between their tyres and the road surface are frequently overlooked by policy makers, planners, road designers and maintenance engineers.

Motorcycles and Travel Plans

1.1.3A Travel Plan is an access strategy used to manage multi-modal access to the workplace. Travel Plans focus on encouraging modal shift from single-occupancy private cars by improving options for travel to the workplace and encourage wider use of sustainable transport. This is often achieved by introducing a combination of incentives and disincentives to persuade and support people using alternative commuter modes. Motorcycles are an affordable alternative mode of transport where public transport provision is lacking or non-existent and where distance dictates that walking and cycling are unrealistic. For these reasons they will be a common feature of many Travel Plans.

Motorcycles and traffic engineering

1.1.4The requirements for safe use by motorcycles demand special consideration by the traffic engineer. Some features, benign to other road users, can present a hazard to motorcycles. The issue of motorcycle access to bus lanes and advanced stop lines at traffic signals is contentious but a number of existing schemes and trials would suggest that motorcyclists can use such facilities without

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1.1Motorcycles have been a feature of our roads for well over a hundred years. During that time they have served as a basic mode of transport, an economical alternative to the car, a workhorse and even a lifestyle icon. Their popularity has risen and fallen in concert with a number of diverse social and economic factors. Recent years have seen an upturn in the popularity of motorcycling, bringing the advantages and disadvantages of the mode into sharp relief, the most obvious of the latter being safety. Although motorcycles were able to exceed their year 2000 road safety targets, progress since then has been poor. Against the 2010 casualty reduction targets, motorcycle casualty numbers buck a trend of generally improving road safety. Motorcycle rider deaths rose by 14% in 2003 alone. Currently, motorcycles are the only mode of transport that is showing an increase rather than a decrease in casualty numbers. However, it is important to remember that those services provided by the motorcycle for over a century are still valid and that being a vulnerable mode is not the same as being an undesirable one.

disadvantaging other vulnerable road users. More trials are needed, especially in the shared use of Advanced Stop Lines.

Motorcycles and parking

1.1.5Parking provision is an important tool in local transport policies as well as traffic management and crime reduction. It is also a fundamental requirement for any motorcycle user. Motorcycle parking can be provided on-street or off-street, in surface parking or multi-storey parking, by commercial site operators as well as local authorities, employers, retailers, and colleges.

Motorcycles and maintenance

1.1.6A good quality surface gives a safer, more pleasant experience for all road users, but it is an essential requirement for motorcyclists. Factors affecting motorcycle stability include: skid resistance, surface contamination and debris, drainage gullies, utility covers, road markings and road studs all of which should be considered from a motorcycle-inclusive viewpoint.

Motorcycles and road safety campaigns

1.1.7Road safety campaigns are a vital ingredient in the mix of initiatives needed to improve the safety record of motorcyclists. Rider attitudes play a major role in determining rider behaviour, irrespective of age or trip purpose. Any measure designed to modify behaviour must address these attitudes and take account of the individuality often expressed in choosing a motorcycle as the travel mode. Riders respond better to messages related to their own perspective and are likely to ignore “must do” or “must not do” approaches.

Motorcycles and traffic calming

1.1.8Traffic calming measures are very effective in reducing numbers of injury accidents, especially in residential areas, and polarising public opinion about their desirability. Motorcyclists are no more exempt from the intended effects of traffic calming devices than any other road user, but they can suffer

disproportionately from unintended effects, often safety-related, which then undermine the casualty-reducing purpose of installing traffic calming measures in the first place.

Motorcycles and Road Safety Audit

1.1.9Road Safety Audit has existed in the UK since the late 1980s. Audits of trunk road and motorway schemes have been mandatory since 1991. Many local authorities voluntarily carry out such design-independent audits using the trunk road standard as a reference. Highway design and traffic engineering practice in England and Wales usually separates safety auditing and user auditing. The latter focuses on encouraging better infrastructure provision for

sustainable and often vulnerable modes to encourage modal shift. However, it has always been good practice for safety auditors to take a multi-modal approach to the process, taking special care with safety implications for vulnerable road users; equestrians,

cyclists and pedestrians. While not being completely overlooked, motorcyclists have had a lower profile in this “special care” regime, perhaps because the higher speeds of motorcycles push them, almost intuitively, into the same camp as twin-track motor vehicles. This is a serious misapprehension. The dynamics of motorcycles and the vulnerability of their riders make motorcycling a unique mode in the traffic mix, demanding separate, informed consideration by designers and auditors alike.

1.2 Naming Conventions

1.2.1Throughout the Guidelines the term “motorcycle” is used to cover all forms of powered two wheelers (PTW) from the smallest mopeds, through scooters to the largest sports and touring machines. The terms “twin track vehicle” and “single track vehicle” are also used in the Guidelines. Although the terms are far from elegant, they do focus on the fundamental design differences between motorcycles and other motor vehicles that often lead to the misunderstanding at policy, design and operational levels with consequent under-performance of the road environment.

1.3 Types of Motorcycle

1.3.1There are a wide variety of machines available today all of which have there own characteristics covering design, typical engine size, handling and style. Similarly, the riders of a given type of machine may be very diverse. In law, a motorcycle is a two-wheeled vehicle that is not a moped (see below); riders must be aged 17 or over.

Standard or Naked

1.3.2These vehicles cover a wide range of the performance spectrum of power, handling and braking. Sometimes called “retro” machines they are typically used as practical transport, but with no fairing (or a small handlebar fairing) and have an upright riding position.

Custom

1.3.3Also known as “cruisers” or “choppers” they are long with a low saddle height and typically have high handlebars with forward footrests. The emphasis is on appearance, and style, with polished chrome much in evidence.

Trail/Enduro/Adventure sport

1.3.4Also known as “Dual-Sport” bikes, they combine features needed to ride on or off road. Larger machines are often similar to those included in the ‘touring’ category, for example fairings and larger luggage compartments.

Touring

1.3.5These machines generally have large engines and are

designed for relaxed, long-distance riding. Typical features include a more comfortable seating position for rider and pillion, luggage Standard or Naked. Triumph Motorcycles Ltd. Custom. Triumph Motorcycles Ltd. Trail/Enduro/Adventure sport. Honda (UK). Touring. Honda (UK).

capacity and weather protection, such as fairings with a fixed or adjustable windscreen.

Sports

1.3.6These machines may be designed to mimic racing motorcycles, with full fairings and low handlebars, or may have partial fairings and more practical rider and pillion seating, with medium-rise handlebars for longer distance travel. They tend to have medium to large capacity engines.

Scooters

1.3.7Representing about 25% of motorcycles on the road, scooters differ significantly from most other motorcycles because of their bodywork and ”step-through” chassis design. Engines are usually small to medium capacity, integral to the rear suspension and normally with automatic transmission.

Mopeds

1.3.8In law, mopeds are motorised two-wheel vehicles with an engine capacity of less than 50cc and a maximum speed of 30mph. Riders must be aged 16 or over. Most electric-powered machines (not to be confused with electrically-assisted bicycles) are akin to mopeds.

1.4 Increasing Motorcycle Use

1.4.1Motorcycle use has continued to grow over the last decade by all relevant measures. Motorcycle usage is far more seasonal than most other motorised modes. The standard measure of vehicles in use is taken from an end-of-year DVLA census; typically a time of year when significant numbers of motorcycles are out of use and untaxed. This does not give an accurate picture of all motorcycles in use, as shown in the chart at figure 1.

1.4.2The growing number of motorcycles has meant a significant rise in the level of motorcycle traffic; Transport Statistics Bulletin

-Road Traffic Statistics: 2003 (DfT 2004) shows how the index of

motorcycle traffic has grown more than that of other vehicle types -47% between 1993 and 2003. This rise compares with an increase in Sports.

Yamaha UK.

Scooters.

Piaggio Ltd.

other motor vehicle traffic of 19% and an increase in road-length of just 1.8% over the same period (figure 2), suggesting that the increase in motorcycle use may be a response to traffic congestion, as is the greater use of bicycles and public transport.

1.4.3The rise in all modes suggests that, where growth in motorcycling has resulted from modal switch, motorcycles have replaced car use, with most motorcycle users also having access to a car.

1.5 Motorcycle Safety

1.5.1Safety is without doubt the single issue most commonly associated with motorcycle use among transport professionals and the wider public. Although fatal accidents are still rare events in absolute terms - one rider is killed every eight million kilometres travelled by motorcycle - riders are many times more likely to be killed than occupants of enclosed,“twin-track” vehicles which offer far more protection in the event of a collision.

1.5.2In 2003, of 693 motorcycle users killed, 73% died after collision with a larger vehicle (DfT 2004a). The single largest grouping of such collisions was the 38% in collision with a single car. In terms of danger to other road users, figures for 2003 show 3.0% (n=23) of pedestrian road deaths and 1.8% (n=2) of cyclist deaths followed collision with a motorcycle.

1.5.3There is also concern over the 24% of riders killed in accidents where no other road-user was recorded as being involved. However, this figure is low compared with occupants of cars where 35% (n=614) died in such accidents during 2003 and even higher proportions for other larger vehicles.

Motorcycle casualty rates

1.5.4While there is no place for complacency when dealing with those killed or injured on our roads, it is important to recognise that a key measure of safety, the rider casualty rate per kilometre (a proxy for rider exposure to risk), has shown year-on-year

improvement, falling by 18.1% over the 1994-98 baseline years for Figure 2: Motorcycle Traffic (100 million Km) 1993-2003 (DfT 2004).

casualty reduction targets (figure 3, below). It should be noted there are no disaggregated targets for motorcycles. A number of

improvements in motorcycle design and rider training have taken place over the last decade and the overall casualty rate for motorcycles has generally improved, despite the largely urban nature of motorcycle use and greater volume of larger vehicles within the same road space. Unfortunately the fatality rate has remained more or less constant at around 12 rider deaths per hundred million vehicle kilometres.

Motorcycle accidents - urban and rural

1.5.5Urban and rural areas see different patterns of motorcycle accidents. The severity of these accidents also tends to vary with the kinds of hazards encountered, and the impact speed of the vehicles involved. While the rural accident involvement rate (per 100 million Km ridden) was 36% lower than for urban roads in 2003, the motorcycle user fatality rate was three times higher on rural roads. 1.5.6There is a public focus on rural casualties; but as accidents occur on both urban and rural roads so strategies need to be targeted in both areas. Motorcycling is playing an increasingly important role as an alternative to the car in congested areas and rider vulnerability in towns and cities needs to be addressed with similar vigour to strategies to reduce casualties in rural areas where motorcycle safety has a higher profile.

1.5.7Broadly speaking, motorcycle traffic is split 60:40 between urban and rural roads and this is reflected in a similar split for non-fatal rider casualties. The situation is reversed for non-fatalities, where 60% occur outside built-up areas. The number of motorcycle user deaths in rural areas has been relatively stable in recent years, but rose by 28% in 2003, perhaps linked to the significant rise in motorcycling during the unusually long, fine-weather riding season of that year (see table 1).

Figure 3: Motorcycle rider casualty rates 1993-2003 (DfT 2004a).

Table 1: Motorcycle KSI casualties by road environment – 1998 to 2003 (DfT 2004a).

Built Up Roads Non Built Up Roads All Roads Killed KSI Killed KSI All Casualties

1998 185 3716 288 2616 24610 1999 205 3878 326 2882 26192 2000 228 4260 356 2965 28212 2001 218 4374 349 2792 28810 2002 242 4529 347 2811 28353 2003 245 4502 448 3986 28411

Motorcycle accidents in context

1.5.8National data from Road Casualties Great Britain 2003 (DfT 2004a) shows that motorcycle accidents occur in three broad contexts and have a seasonal element.

Figure 4: Motorcyclist KSI casualties: number and rate by month of year (indexed), 2003 (DfT 2004b).

❖Junctions: 67% of all motorcycles involved in accidents

during 2003 were reported as “at a junction”, making junctions the most common accident location and, according to studies, these are most likely to be precipitated by another road user. Many collisions take place at junctions where the driver of a motor vehicle may have “looked but did not see”.There are also a minority of riders who ride inappropriately, exposing themselves to higher risk.

❖Overtaking: 15% of motorcycle accidents involve

overtaking a moving or stationary vehicle.

❖Bends: 12% of motorcycles involved in accidents were

reported as “going ahead on bend”. In rural areas a significant proportion of these are involved in single vehicle accidents with speed and lack of rider skill playing a major role.

❖Time of year: Motorcycle casualty numbers also vary

according to time of year(see figure 4). As noted above, motorcycle activity rises between spring and autumn, and the number of KSI rider casualties also rises, but the casualty rate falls because motorcycle traffic volume also rises. The rise in absolute casualty numbers in better weather can shift the focus away from the particular hazards faced by all-year/all-weather riders during winter months.

1.6 Taking action

1.6.1 In both rural and urban areas, motorcycle casualties are linked to a variety of factors involving engineering and planning,

behaviour, levels of skill and attitudes between motorcyclists and other road users. Compared to car users, motorcyclists are vulnerable mainly due to their physical exposure.

1.6.2 Appropriate action could take the form of individual schemes through to an extensive package of measures that integrate to form an overall local motorcycle strategy, with clear targets, not only to reduce casualties, but also to implement measures which mitigate vulnerability and change rider and driver attitudes. It is helpful to adopt a partnership approach with motorcycling stakeholders, including the motorcycle industry, users and businesses.

1.7 The Government’s Motorcycling Strategy

in government thinking on this mode of transport and represents the first strategy of its kind to be produced in Europe. The strategy effectively “mainstreams” motorcycling into core transport policy and underpins other work which has already been done to incorporate motorcycling into guidance for Local Transport Plans. Other government resources can now be linked with The

Government’s Motorcycling Strategy, for example TAL 2/02 Motorcycle Parking and the relevant sections of PPG13: Transport.

1.7.2 The Government’s Motorcycling Strategy builds on the work of

the Advisory Group on Motorcycling whose final report was published in August 2004. It covers a number of aspects of motorcycling including rider safety, training, vehicle safety and security. These Guidelines extend on the The Government’s

Motorcycling Strategy in the relevant sections that deal with policy

and planning, parking provision, traffic engineering, road design, maintenance, road safety and road safety audit.

The Government’s Motorcycling Strategy.

2.1 Key Points

2.2 Context

2.2.1 All modes of transport have strengths and weaknesses; good practice demands the framing and implementation of policies that maximise the strengths and minimise the weaknesses. Motorcycles have long provided a legitimate, cost-effective and relatively low-polluting form of transport, for commuting, work or leisure purposes. NTS data shows 63% of motorcycle trips are for work, business or education, compared to 30% for cars (DfT 2004). There has been an increase of 45% in the number of licensed motorcycles in the ten years from 1993 to 2002 (DfT 2003) and, if the experience seen in London following the introduction of congestion charging is repeated in other cities, coupled with increasing fuel costs, this growth can be expected to continue. It also appears that increasing affluence, particularly among 30-45 year old men has resulted in them buying motorcycles for leisure purposes. Increased interest in the development of Travel Plans provides opportunities for

influencing the role that motorcycles can play (Chapter 3).

2.2.2 Riders of motorcycles are susceptible to serious injury even in low-speed collisions yet the specific safety needs of motorcycles with their reliance on an adequate and consistent friction between their tyres and the road surface, have sometimes been overlooked by policy makers, planners, road designers and maintenance engineers. Raising awareness among these professionals will help redress the balance in providing for motorcycles. These Guidelines are a step in that direction.

2.2.3 Road Safety Audits need to encompass a greater awareness of motorcycle behaviour and hazards. It would be helpful if the audit team and the project manager have a sound knowledge of single-tracked vehicle stability and safety needs, or have access to such knowledge via an appropriate “expert” (Chapter 9).

2.2.4 Access to accurate and detailed local accident data containing real-life causation factors is fundamental to policy decisions, at political or professional level. National statistics in Road Casualties in

Great Britain are valuable in providing benchmarking, but local data

can be found in reported injury accidents (STATS19) and even data collected by local hospital Accident and Emergency units.

CHAPTER 2

POLICY

Motorcycles are part of traffic mix.

Keith Sharples Photography.

2.1.1

❖Local Transport Plans should refer to the role that motorcycles can play, focusing on the strengths of the mode and containing strategies to mitigate their

weaknesses, including reducing their accident involvement rate. These strategies should cover both engineering and non-engineering activities.

❖Consultation with riders is essential to ensure that strategies and initiatives meet the needs of the users.

❖Good practice in including motorcycling as an integral part of Travel Plans should be followed where appropriate. ❖Secure parking facilities should be provided at transport

interchanges and journey ends to mitigate the likelihood of theft and minimise “unofficial” parking. The public sector should set good examples in this area.

2.2.5 The Government set challenging casualty reduction targets for the year 2010 that have been adopted by virtually all local authorities (DfT 2004a). Although the national road safety strategy does not require it, many local authorities have disaggregated the main casualty reduction target by travel mode, thus highlighting the relative vulnerability of cyclists and motorcyclists. The level of motorcycling has steadily increased since the 1994 to 1998 period on which the targets are based, so the simple measure of casualties is misleading - the more realistic rate per unit of travel shows an 18% improvement (DfT 2004b). It is essential to give motorcycles appropriate and serious attention if the overall casualty reduction targets are to be met. Many of the required measures will also benefit cyclists.

2.3 Integrating Motorcycling into Transport

Policies and Strategies

2.3.1 The Department for Transport (DfT) requires local authorities to prioritise transport modes in their Local Transport Plan (LTP). Motorcycles figure above cars in such priority lists in recognition of their relative efficiency; both in road-space occupancy terms and their overall lower polluting effect (AGoM 2004). The space required for parking twin-track vehicles is often un-costed in LTPs.

Motorcycles can substantially reduce this urban overhead cost. Specific issues to cover in an LTP

2.3.2 The revised LTP guidance from the DfT is quite brief compared to that given in 2000 and should be considered as additional to the earlier advice. The revised guidance specifically mentions the advantages and disadvantages of motorcycling and how to deal with them:

2.3.3 Local authorities may use the guidance to make a convincing case for motorcycle-related transport policies and planning. There is now less distinction between bicycles and motorcycles, mobility scooters for the disabled, and other parts of the widening range of light mobility options. A sound strategy for sustainable mobility requires that the full spectrum is handled consistently, allowing road space, on-street and off-street parking provision, movement and access to be considered in a balanced manner. Other specific issues the LTP should address include:

❖The need to raise awareness of motorcycles as a legitimate transport mode. This should be based on the principle that motorcycle use has increased without local or central government advocacy or encouragement, and may continue to do so. There is a difference between “encouragement” and “making provision”. Ignoring any vulnerable mode is

unacceptable.

“The use of motorcycles and other powered two-wheelers is on the increase; greater use of this mode could potentially deliver congestion, accessibility and air quality benefits. However, the potential of this mode has been undermined by a continued association with poor road safety outcomes…[i]nterventions should aim to reduce vulnerability at the same time as improving accessibility for motorcyclists.” (DfT 2004c)

❖Recognition of the benefits of motorcycle use, tied to specific local land use and transport planning issues.

❖Recognition of the wide spectrum covered by the term “motorcycle” (or Powered Two-Wheeler), from mopeds to large sports and touring machines, and their equally diverse trip purposes.

❖Frank examination of the drawbacks to motorcycling - the most obvious being safety, including serious, data-led analysis of the local situation. Other drawbacks include: security, noise and vehicle pollution concerns. The LTP should contain the kernels of positive actions to address these drawbacks.

❖Specific undertakings to include the good practice identified in other chapters of these Guidelines into the operational practice of the local authority.

❖The role that motorcycling can play in the local rural transport policy.

2.3.4 More detail on motorcycles and LTPs can be found in The IHIE

Briefing Note On Motorcycling Issues and “LTP2” Second Edition Full Guidance on Local Transport Plans (IHIE 2005).

Congestion charging

2.3.5 The introduction of London’s congestion charging scheme has seen an increase in the use of motorcycles and a reduction in casualty rates for riders within the charging zone (TfL 2004). This suggests that exempting motorcycles from congestion charges has economic and safety benefits, offering the possibility of larger benefits as pilot schemes are rolled out in the UK. To maximise the environmental benefits of a switch from cars to motorcycles in London or any other conurbation there should be a commensurate increase in convenient and secure parking provision.

Social inclusion

2.3.6 Motorcycles can reduce social, educational and economic exclusion for people that do not have easy access to efficient public transport or to a car - this is especially true in rural areas. In some areas low-cost, low-powered motorcycles are made available to disadvantaged rural dwellers through the Wheels to Work scheme so that they can access education and work opportunities (Chapter 3). In some other areas, local authorities have chosen not to encourage motorcycle use in view of the perceived risk and the anti-social use of motorcycles by a minority.

Government initiatives

2.3.7 The Government is introducing or involved with a variety of measures to improve the safety record of motorcycles. These include:

❖The Advisory Group on Motorcycling, which reported in August 2004.

❖The Government’s National Motorcycling Strategy, published

February 2005.

❖The Driving Standards Agency’s (DSA) role in training and testing.

❖Support for national and local publicity initiatives. Parking demand exceeding supply.

BMF.

Motorcycles are part of rural transport.

❖Sponsorship for the British Super Bike race series - raising the profile of the Government’s “Think” campaign.

❖The Motorcycle Casualty Reduction Group - led by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).

2.4 Consulting with Riders

Wide spectrum

2.4.1 It is essential that the safety and security needs of all motorcycle riders are met and not just those of organised rider groups. The two main rider organisations, the British Motorcyclists’ Federation (BMF) and Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) are well-respected and organised, but their membership does not

necessarily represent a true cross-section of all riders, despite their best endeavours. The range of motorcycles available and the use to which they are put is very wide indeed - from restricted mopeds and scooters used as fashionable, basic, transport, through

commuting and at-work use, to leisure riding and touring. Even this last category covers everything from classic machines to sports bikes - all requiring different riding styles and used by riders with different attitudes and behaviour. A full understanding of the needs of diverse users is necessary in order to provide a safer riding environment.

Rider forums

2.4.2 Local authorities may find it useful to establish a motorcycle forum in order to facilitate information gathering to help identify motorcyclists’ needs. Authorities with experience in this field include; Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, Devon County Council, Bedfordshire County Council and Cornwall County Council (see example below). The forum should be as representative as possible of riders in the community or those who use the area’s roads, as well as including appropriate officers, representing road safety engineering, road safety education, the police, tourism and economic development. Other bodies that may be able to help include regional groups of the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) - they are not only concerned with car driving - and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). It is advisable to supplement a forum by other methods of gathering views in order to ensure that a wide variety of users are consulted. Examples of other methods are:

Example: Cornwall County Council

2.4.3 Cornwall County Council, working with the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), established a motorcyclist forum to examine issues affecting local riders. A web-based survey form was used to gain wider views. The Cornwall Motorcyclists’ Forum has

❖Focus groups.

❖Consumer research at retail outlets.

❖Requests for feedback via local newspapers, colleges and businesses.

had a significant input to the Cornwall Strategy for Powered Two Wheelers and just as importantly continues to meet to monitor and develop this strategy.

2.5 Travel Plans and Motorcycles

2.5.1 Motorcycles should figure in all Travel Plans, including those for sixth form colleges and adult or late-teen educational

establishments, with the lead being set by local authorities. Any approach to educational establishments must present information carefully and must not be seen as encouraging a move to

motorcycles from other modes such as walking, cycling, trains or buses.

2.5.2 The drafting and delivery of Travel Plans (Chapter 3) is often a condition of planning approval for any type of development. Where there are two-tier local government arrangements, this will mean liaison between authorities responsible for roads and those responsible for planning functions. All modes of travel should be considered within the Travel Plan, including motorcycles.

Convenient and secure parking for motorcycles should be provided, together with changing facilities and equipment lockers.

2.6 Motorcycle Security

2.6.1 Security of motorcycles at journey’s end is an important policy consideration, given the relative ease with which

motorcycles can be stolen. The absence of convenient and secure parking can be a severe barrier to motorcycle use or lead to inappropriate or illegal parking. This needs to be considered for private parking at business premises as well as for on-street or off-street parking (Chapter 5).

2.7 Policy is Vital

2.7.1 Motorcycles can reduce congestion, reduce parking space requirements and improve accessibility, especially at places and times when public transport is limited. Motorcycles also provide a cost-effective mode of transport for those with limited resources. In view of their vulnerability, the specific safety needs of motorcyclists need to be carefully considered by road designers and traffic engineers in the design, implementation and maintenance of any works on public roads. However, it is unlikely that professionals on the operational side of road infrastructure provision will make a step change in their approach to catering for motorcyclists if the lead has not been set by policymakers at local, regional and national level.

Security is key.

3.1 Key Points

3.2 Context

3.2.1 A Travel Plan is an access strategy used to manage multi-modal access to the workplace. The Travel Plan focuses on encouraging modal shift from single occupancy private cars by improving options for travel to the workplace and encouraging wider use of sustainable transport. This is often achieved by introducing a combination of incentives and disincentives to persuade and support people using alternative commuter modes. 3.2.2 Travel Plans are required to be submitted alongside planning applications for developments likely to have a significant impact on transport. They are also commonly introduced by organisations in response to concerns about growing traffic congestion or where car parking problems exist. Tailored to each individual organisation, Travel Plans are an efficient way of managing commuter journeys and business travel and where parking space is at a premium. 3.2.3The Transport Energy Best Practice programme provides guidance and support for development of travel plans:

http://www.transportenergy.org.uk/developtravelplan

3.2.4 Motorcycles are an affordable alternative mode of transport where public transport provision is lacking or non-existent and where distance dictates that walking and cycling are unrealistic. NTS data shows 63% of motorcycle trips are for work, business or education, compared to 30% for cars (DfT 2004). For these reasons they should be a common feature of many Travel Plans.

3.3 Potential Benefits of an Increase in

Motorcycle Use

For an organisation 3.3.1

❖Increased social inclusion and equality in the workplace, through widening choice for employees and providing opportunities to those who may not be able to easily access public transport services.

❖Increased productivity from a healthier, better-motivated workforce as a result of a reliable, less stressful journey to work. A three-month study involving co-operation between a scooter manufacturer and a large accountancy firm into the effects of switching from car to scooter showed decreased stress levels and increased productivity (FNN 2004).

CHAPTER 3

TRAVEL PLANS

3.1.1 There are advantages to including motorcycling into Travel Plans. Good schemes offer:

❖Incentives to encourage staff to switch from a less sustainable mode.

❖Motorcycle user groups.

❖Parking, changing facilities and lockers. ❖Safer routes.

❖Security systems accessible to riders.

Rural commuting.

Keith Sharples Photography.

Rider and pillion.

❖Access to a wider human resource pool by expanding the availability of accessible staff where public transport schedules are a constraint.

❖Potential cost savings through taking control of transport expenditure.

❖Reduced on-site parking and congestion issues.

❖Improved access. This can reduce stress for both employees and visitors. It may also improve the reliability and efficiency of deliveries to and from the business.

❖Improved morale.

❖Better relations with the local community. For staff

3.3.2

❖Increased access to work and other opportunities. ❖Cost savings.

❖Time savings through reduced commuting time.

❖Employment accessible at times when public transport is reduced.

❖Facilitating multi-purpose trips combined with the daily commute.

❖Reduced stress and better quality of life. To transport costs

3.3.3 Motorcycles are a flexible and affordable alternative to the private car. Employees who ride a motorcycle usually have considerably lower running costs. This can widen employment opportunities by making reliable private commuter travel more accessible.

To the environment

3.3.4 In the UK CO2emissions from road transport are the fastest

growing contributor to climate change (DETR 1998). The

Government’s Advisory Group on Motorcycling “…concludes that [motorcycles], through lower energy requirements, use less fuel and emit far less CO2than cars. In terms of pollutant emissions, they

emit less CO and are likely, from 2006/7, to be emitting less NOx,

and about the same volume of hydrocarbons” (AGoM 2004). Encouraging more sustainable transport modes should be at the forefront of any Travel Plan. Fuel cell and electric motorcycles are becoming available, and are more affordable than zero emission cars. This is an area where increased take-up could yield emission benefits against all other modes, including public transport. In reducing congestion

3.3.5 The majority of commuter vehicles used for journeys to and from work have only one occupant. Combined with their small “footprint” this means motorcycles:

❖Are efficient in their use of road space, contributing towards alleviating the increasing problem of congestion. These space benefits are particularly evident at over-capacity junctions.

vehicles; as many as five motorcycles can be parked in a single space designed for a family saloon (Chapter 5). ❖Enable quicker journey times, often without the stress of

being held up in peak time traffic, which leads to individual and corporate congestion savings.

3.4 Incentive Schemes

3.4.1 A number of organisations have incentive schemes. These can take on different forms to suit individual organisational needs. It is possible to provide interest-free loans for up to £5000 to encourage the use of smaller motorcycles. Loans can contribute towards purchase and running costs and be paid back over a period of time, with mutual benefit to the employer and the employee.

Example 1: Orange - Bristol

3.4.2 Orange employees who travel to work by motorcycle can get interest-free loans and are provided with secure covered parking areas and places to change.

Example 2: Pfizer Ltd - Kent

3.4.3 Pfizer Ltd offers a motorcycle training scheme with interest-free loans for people who want to learn to ride a bike safely. Other incentives can include payment of certain travel expenses.

Example 3: Gatwick Airport - Gatwick

3.4.4 Gatwick Airport set up a working group to examine safety issues and surveyed employees who travelled by motorcycle to identify the problems and concerns they encountered. The airport has linked up with a rider training organisation to provide safety training for anyone who would like to use twowheeled transport -whether they are new or experienced riders.

Example 4: Vodafone - West Berkshire

3.4.5 Vodaphone employees are given an allowance of £85 per month to ride to work, and undercover parking spaces are provided for them. Changing facilities and lockers are also available to employees, along with the benefit of a motorcycle user group.

Example 5: GCHQ - Cheltenham

3.4.6 In September 2003, GCHQ moved to new headquarters which replaced more than 50 buildings in and around Cheltenham. As part of its Travel Plan GCHQ is encouraging more staff to use forms of transport other than the single occupancy car. The new site has 15% less parking spaces. Although half of the organisation was already located in older buildings in the vicinity, the arrival of new staff from the other side of town placed extra pressure on the local road network. About 15% of its 4,500 staff cycle to work and at least 5% use motorcycles - this is set to increase. In association with Gloucestershire County Council, BikeSafe has been promoted at the site and those cycling and motorcycling benefit from secure, preferential parking, lockers and showers and the option of an

interest-free loan to purchase machines and protective clothing. All of this contributed to GCHQ winning the Ride to Work Day

Motorcycle-Friendly Employer award in 2004. Example 6: The “Wheels to Work” initiative

3.4.7Countryside Agency supports the “Wheels to Work” (W2W), an incentive scheme designed to provide transport solutions to those who experience barriers to employment because of poor public or private transport. The initiatives provided can include a wide range of measures (CA 2002).

3.4.8 There are 55 W2W schemes operating throughout England that offer the loan or rental of motorcycles. Most schemes are aimed at young people aged between 16 and 25 living in rural areas, but some schemes are run for anyone above the age of 16. A contribution of between £1 and £10 to the operation of the motorcycle is often made. All schemes provide compulsory basic training (CBT), insurance and safety/protective equipment. Some offer assistance with licence applications. The loan of the

motorcycle usually lasts until the person has succeeded in obtaining their own transport - usually between 3 and 12 months. 3.4.9 Local authorities can lead the way by adopting similar schemes for existing or potential employees. For example,

Aberdeen City Council offers loans for motorbike purchases and is formalising parking for motorcycles as part of its Travel Plan. 3.4.10 A ”toolkit” to assist local authorities in implementing a Wheels to Work scheme is available as a download via the W2W web site:www.wheels2work.org.uk

3.5 Issues to Consider

Safety

3.5.1 Although the safety of individual riders is improving, motorcyclists still represent a high proportion of road casualties in relation to their numbers. Health and safety law requires employers to be responsible for the safety and welfare of all employees, as far as is reasonably practicable. Employers who encourage motorcycle use for business purposes should have a full and thorough risk assessment in place, which should be reviewed periodically to ensure continued validity. This applies to all occupational road risks. It is important that employers consider risks to employees on the road in the same way as those within the workplace.

3.5.2 Some organisations with Travel Plans in place offer training or financial assistance for training, as an employee incentive to encourage modal shift.

3.5.3 All novice riders must complete CBT. It is important to remember that the skills to operate a car are very different from those required to operate a motorcycle safely and appropriately. Wheels to Work. MCIA.

Raising awareness

3.5.4 Publicity and promotion are essential elements of actively encouraging any change in commuter modes. Employers need to understand that once the infrastructure is completed and facilities are in place, their job in implementing the Travel Plan is not finished.

3.5.5 When establishing a Travel Plan it is important to raise

awareness of proposed changes and the effects that they may have. In the case of a shift to motorcycles, rider training is particularly important. Provision of guidance for people new to motorcycling is essential. Where possible, advanced training should be offered to more experienced users. It is important to ensure that anyone using a motorcycle for work purposes is aware of the risk assessment and is informed about the engineering and technical standards that could better protect them.

3.5.6 Training should be to a high standard. The Department for Transport (DfT) and Driving Standards Agency (DSA) are

introducing more questions on the driving theory test designed to raise driver awareness of vulnerable road users including

motorcyclists. The DfT are also raising awareness of motorcycles sharing the road space through their “Think!” website. This offers useful information and a leaflet called Watch Out for Motorcyclists, available at:

http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/campaigns/motorcycles/motorc ycles01.htm

3.6 Provision

3.6.1 Just as for cyclists, the use of motorcycles can be made more attractive through the provision of suitable facilities. Increased use of motorcycles will require employers to cater for their needs in a number of areas.

Accessibility

3.6.2 Employers should consider site accessibility when devising a Travel Plan. A real or perceived lack of safety can serve as a deterrent to modal shift. Barriers to easy site access may be busy roads, complicated junctions or carriageway features that are difficult for motorcyclists to negotiate. Organisations should consider providing local maps showing the best routes to site. In some instances personalised journey plans could help those new to motorcycling.

3.6.3 In a similar way to provision for bicycles, organisations on large sites should consider providing sign-posted routes to appropriate parking that are well lit and well maintained.

3.6.4 It is also necessary to review road-based site security systems, such as the use of lifting barriers and pass-cards. Such systems may not have been designed with motorcyclists in mind - a pass card can be hard to retrieve from a bulky protective jacket wearing riding gloves. Access to the site should always be well lit, well surfaced and clear of carriageway hazards such as gravel or other debris.

Safe and secure parking

3.6.5 Parking should be covered, well lit and equipped with suitable stands to which motorcycles can be secured. Parking for

motorcycles should be located close to the entrance of a building, on level ground and not open to abuse by delivery vehicles or as a drop off point (Chapter 5). The use of space in non-traditional areas for motor vehicles, for example otherwise unused space near the road, has proved to be effective in some areas, and offers better parking provision, space utilisation and security against theft. Changing facilities and storage for safety equipment 3.6.6 Motorcycle and bicycle riders need changing and showering facilities, and a drying room along with lockers for safe equipment storage. If the organisation pays corporation tax, it may be possible to claim capital allowances for expenditure on plant and machinery, for example showering equipment, and the cost of providing pool motorcycles. Claims against expenditure on construction or

conversion of a building to house shower facilities are not presently allowable for tax relief.

Motorcycle user groups

3.6.7 Shared interest groups are useful for providing support for potential motorcycle users, giving Travel Plan feedback and identifying possible future improvements to Travel Plans. A user group can raise the profile of motorcycles as a viable means of commuter transport, identifying safe and efficient routes to the workplace. It may be possible to negotiate discounted rates on clothing and equipment with local suppliers.

3.6.8Vehicle maintenance is an important aspect of safety. User groups can hold maintenance clinics or liaise with local mechanics to negotiate special rates for newcomers and regulars.

4.1 Key Points

4.2 Context

4.2.1 Road designers and traffic engineers need to take into consideration the specific needs of motorcyclists. Some features, benign to other road users, can present a hazard to motorcycles. When considering engineering measures on existing roads it is recommended that any accident data analysis is supplemented by comments from a suitably qualified and experienced rider in order to gain an understanding of real-life causation factors.

4.3 Road Design

Overview

4.3.1 It may be of value to the non-riding road designer to briefly explain how motorcycles are different:

❖The consistency of grip between tyres and the road surface is critical to motorcycle stability, especially when leaning over for cornering or when braking or accelerating.

❖Most braking effort and all steering control for a motorcycle is through the front tyre which means that riders avoid combining braking and steering whenever possible to reduce the likelihood of overwhelming front tyre grip as it attempts to deal with conflicting forces. Any change in this grip, and in particular a sudden decrease, can lead to loss of control during the manoeuvre as the front wheel slides away. Loss of front tyre grip on a bend almost invariably leads to a crash.

❖All accelerating force is through the small patch of the rear tyre in contact with the road. A sudden lessening of the grip available, for example because of a surface change part-way through a bend, can cause the rear tyre to slip sideways and cause loss of control.

❖Motorcycle riders adopt a different line through bends than drivers of twin-track vehicles, traversing the width of the lane in order to maximise grip through minimising steering

CHAPTER 4

ROAD DESIGN AND

TRAFFIC ENGINEERING

4.1.1 Many of the current road design and traffic engineering practices are suitable for all road-user groups but the particular dynamic stability needs of the motorcycle need special

consideration.

❖Designers need to “think bike”.

❖Getting input from a suitably trained and experienced rider to inform this thinking at an early stage and prevent the inadvertent inclusion of design features that increase the risk to riders.

❖The relationship between the road and

braking/steering/accelerating on motorcycles needs to be a design consideration.

❖Using this understanding to pick up on good design points. ❖Exploring new possibilities by considering allowing

inputs. This keeps the machine as upright as possible, and maximises forward visibility and safety. Anything that forces riders to choose a less-than-optimum riding line through a bend increases the risk of loss of control.

Surface grip and consistency 4.3.2

❖Motorcycles have a much greater need for a consistent and high coefficient of friction from the road surface than twin-track vehicles, especially on wet surfaces and in areas requiring braking and steering.

❖Riders adopt an angle of lean to negotiate a corner that is related to speed and bend radius - any change in grip between tyres and surface can destabilise the machine. ❖Any deviation from a consistently level surface in the same

areas can seriously impair the motorcycle’s road-holding ability.

❖A sudden change in surface level rapidly loads and unloads the suspension, thus reducing the grip between front wheel and road surface. In other words, the wheel rebounds upwards and in severe cases can lose contact with the surface.

❖Unpredictable changes in the road environment that call for rapid deceleration or braking while cornering can cause the motorcycle to”sit-up” and take a tangential line away from the bend.

Bends

4.3.3 There is anecdotal evidence that riders who are losing control of their machine on a bend tend to “fixate” on what seems to be the object in their path most likely to hurt them - typically a tree or signpost. The argument goes that, once this “target fixation” occurs, the rider will usually hit that object. Whether or not target fixation is a genuine phenomenon, research indicates that a significant percentage of motorcycle fatalities (17% in GB in 2003) involve collision with road side objects (unpublished DfT STATS19 data, see also ATSB 2000, quoted in MCC 2002). Wherever possible, any highway furniture or signage should not be positioned on the outside of bends, creating a “clear zone” in higher speed rural situations, to minimise this problem. Other options are:

❖Site the signs back as far as possible; falling riders quickly lose speed on open verges (Fox et al 1979, quoted in VicRoads 2001).

❖On right-hand bends with sufficient forward visibility, position the signs on the inside of the bend.

❖A site-specific engineering solution was implemented by Buckinghamshire County Council on one particular bend where there had been three motorcyclist fatalities in five years and a number of serious injuries, including car drivers. The principle behind the scheme is called “where you look is where you go” and works on the basis that if you can “hold” the rider’s/driver’s eye around a bend then they are likely to successfully negotiate it. Filming of this and similar bends had indicated that chevron signs could misrepresent the radius of the bend, especially at night. Hazard marker posts Motorcycle taking up position to left

from a right hand bend.

Keith Sharples Photography.

Bends with street furniture in the “clear zone”.

Keith Sharples Photography.

Where you look is where you go (after).

Buckinghamshire County Council.

Where you look is where you go (before).

were positioned on the outer edge of the bend, at a closer spacing than normal, to concentrate the rider’s eyes on the “vanishing point”.The owner of adjacent land removed bramble overgrowth so there was visibility across the inside of the bend. This low-cost measure appears to have been successful, with no injury accidents more than two years after completion.

Visibility

4.3.4 Drivers often do not “see” motorcyclists because of the relatively small frontal area presented by their machines, the presence of other road vehicles and roadside obstructions. Junction design should ensure that drivers do not have their sight lines obscured.

Rural roads

4.3.5 The higher speed potential on rural roads, especially those that are attractive to leisure riders, means that many of the aspects covered in this section have greater importance for casualty reduction on these roads.

Safety barrier

4.3.6 Research in Australia has shown that the probability of a falling rider being killed doubles in a collision with safety barrier systems. Injuries were less severe from impact with the beam or the face of a concrete safety barrier system, compared to collisions with the posts used in the system or the roadside posts being protected by the safety barrier (Gibson and Benetatos 2000). Falling riders, as they slide along the road surface, are most likely to be at risk of added injury from the unprotected barrier support posts and projecting surfaces or by sliding underneath barriers (FEMA 2004). Riders often express concern at the perceived dangers of wire rope safety fence, but the Government’s Advisory Group on Motorcycling concluded that this form of safety fence appears, from the limited research completed so far, to be no more hazardous than other types of post-and-rail barrier. There is general agreement that more research is required on the effects of different types of fence on falling riders and on the posts that cause the most severe injuries to riders when they hit safety fence (AGoM 2004).

4.3.7 Pending further research it seems that retro-fitting impact mitigation measures to posts and some means of preventing dismounted riders from passing under rails would improve secondary safety for falling riders in safety barrier collisions. In a recent development, the Highways Agency has issued an Interim Advice Note signalling a change in policy to installing rigid

concrete safety barriers for central reserves on motorways and dual carriageways with flows over 25,000 vehicles per day (HA 2005). Priority junctions and roundabouts

4.3.8 Important considerations at priority junctions and

roundabouts are to optimise sight lines and provide good braking surfaces for all users. This will mitigate the problem of drivers not Street furniture can obscure sightline to

right, on exit from side road.

Keith Sharples Photography.

Wire Rope Safety Fence and support posts.

responding to motorcyclists’ presence - even when the latter have priority. The relatively small frontal aspect of motorcycles makes this particularly important. Low entry angles on roundabout

approaches mean riders in the circulatory area can be obscured by the central pillar on emerging cars. Entry angles that are too high can lead to excessive speed on approach and tail-end collisions. Wide entries encourage drivers to pull up on the offside of the rider, especially if the latter is on a low-powered machine. Both of these potential problems are mitigated with entry angles between 30° and 40° and entry widths no greater than absolutely necessary -and these measures should also have the effect of reducing entry speed. A balance will need to be struck between capacity and safety. The positioning of street furniture and vegetation at junctions is critical for good sight lines. A very high proportion of collisions between motorcycles and cars in urban situations are due to emerging drivers failing to see the oncoming motorcycle. The higher speed of traffic on rural roads requires that designing for adequate sight lines is even more important.

Light Rapid Transit systems

4.3.9 The rails of on-street Light Rapid Transit (LRT) systems can have a destabilising effect on motorcycles and cycles. Ongoing research at Nottingham University into the effects of tram infrastructure on cyclists is awaited. Discussion with recent LRT providers indicates that flush rails with high-PSV surrounding surfaces offer the best compromise between tram utility and the safety of other road users, including riders of mopeds or

motorcycles. Seek out the experience of earlier LRT projects such as Manchester, Sheffield, West Midlands, Nottingham and Croydon. Design Points

4.3.10 To reduce the need for sudden variations in steering or braking and to minimise the consequences of any loss of control, consider these points:

❖Consistent horizontal alignment - for example avoiding bends that tighten after entry - minimises the need for change of steering angle, and hence angle of lean, especially in a critical situation, such as a road surface compromised by water, detritus or leaf fall. Chapter 8 deals with vertical and horizontal alignment in the specific circumstances of traffic calming. Chapter 9 looks at this issue in a Road Safety Audit context.

❖Cross-sectional design consistent with the speed of the road and the radius of the bends. This is more of a problem for roads that have”evolved” over time, rather than new-build, but adverse camber or inadequate super-elevation can be a problem for all motor vehicles, but with worse consequences for motorcyclists.

❖ Wherever possible a motorcycle should be able to brake and stop while upright, travelling in a straight line and on a consistent grip surface. Clear and adequate sight lines to pedestrian crossing facilities minimises the need for last Motorcycle on roundabout with narrow

entries.

Keith Sharples Photography.

Approaching a pedestrian crossing.