The design, construction, maintenance, and retrofit of roadway facilities requires an inclusive approach that considers the interactions between the vehicle and the road. This approach is essential so that the facility can provide the safest possible driving environment. As part of this balanced approach, there is a need to comprehensively understand how the candidate design vehicle characteristics may differ and how these differences can be expected to influence vehicle operations on roadways. Historically, the typical design vehicle primarily considered for road design has been a passenger car. In some cases, a heavy vehicle may have also been considered when considering issues such as acceleration from a stopped condition. Unfortunately, the direct inclusion of motorcycles as potential design vehicles has been limited.
This project entailed the development of stakeholder-reviewed information on roadside barriers, geometric design features, construction and maintenance practices, and connected/automated vehicle technologies that can be used in the consideration of motorcycles and motorcyclists to improve roadway safety and operations. The project also produced noteworthy practices that summarized key items for practitioners to put into use and research needs statements to address gaps in existing knowledge and practice. A key focus of this project entailed disseminating the information to practitioners to facilitate its use on a broad basis.
Resources:
- Motorcycle Safety Noteworthy Practices: Infrastructure and Engineering
- Addressing the Motorcyclist Advisory Council Recommendations: Synthesis on Barrier Design for Motorcyclist Safety
- Addressing the Motorcyclist Advisory Council Recommendations: Synthesis on Roadway Geometry, Pavement Design, and Pavement Construction and Maintenance Practices
- Addressing the Motorcyclist Advisory Council Recommendations: Synthesis on Intelligent Transportation System Applications and Automated Technologies for Motorcyclists
Project Title: Addressing the Motorcyclist Advisory Council Recommendations
Project Start and End Dates: October 2020 – est. November 2023
Author List: Mike Manser
Sponsor/Funding Source: Federal Highway Administration