Road Infrastructure
 

Failure to consider the safety needs of motorcyclists
Roadway design, maintenance and construction are generally directed towards the needs of multi-track vehicles, with the needs of motorcycles often not taken into consideration. A possible explanation could be a lack of experience or awareness by engineers and maintenance staff. Poor road design and maintenance contribute to motorcycle accidents, particularly single vehicle accidents. FEMA has identified a variety of common road conditions and design factors, rarely hazardous to multi-track vehicles, but which pose hazards to a powered two-wheeler. Unfortunately, Public Roads Authorities in Europe have done little to improve roadway characteristics with regard to motorcycle safety. We cannot believe that it is caused by prejudice or anti-motorcycling attitudes, the explanation rather being that Public Roads Authorities have little competence and experience in this field of responsibility. Thus, highway standards must be revised and developed to reflect the safety needs of motorcyclists, encouraging motorcycle-friendly design, construction and maintenance procedures. It follows that road design and maintenance personnel must be educated about conditions posing hazards to motorcyclists. Above all there is a need for quality audits, in which motorcyclists' needs are included, to be undertaken on a regular basis. FEMA appreciates that some of the improvements needed will require both research and investments, and therefore probably will take some time to accomplish. Other improvements, however, are easily accomplished, simply requiring a shift in focus and level of consciousness by Public Roads Authorities.
 

Road Construction
Fundamental conditions for road planning and quality/safety audits during this phase are required.

Metal road surface components such as manhole covers, tramlines, offer almost no traction, especially when wet. Metal road surface components should be positioned outside the roadway or the line taken by single-track vehicles.

Roadside barriers are often placed where they are not needed. Most barrier systems, in the form of prefabricated safety fence, designed to retain cars and reduce injuries to automobile occupants, are deadly to motorcyclists who collide with them. The problem is carefully described in the FEMA Crash Barrier Report (2000).
 

The course of events in collisions between riders and roadside barriers is usually that the rider for some reason falls from his motorcycle, followed by his body sliding across the road surface until it collides with a safety fence post, beneath the steel beams or cables. FEMA has identified the exposed safety fence posts as the single most hazardous part of commonly used roadside barrier systems. The Netherlands, Germany, Norway and France have developed and tested motorcycle-friendly barrier designs, and attenuation devices as additions to existing designs of safety fence, solving the problem of the hazardous exposed safety fence posts and bolts. Continuous cast concrete barriers are also less hazardous to fallen riders. FEMA recommends Public Roads Authorities in other Member States to consider and adopt these designs. FEMA also recommends a review of roadside barrier standards (EN 1317) should include motorcycles in tests and impact attenuation devices within its scope.

Some types of asphalt offer almost no traction when wet. The types of asphalt known to offer poor traction should be banned. Existing forms of low-friction asphalt should be improved or replaced. With only two points of support, aquaplaning is extremely dangerous for motorcyclists, often causing the motorcycle to fall over and crash. Thus, good water drainage is important. All sharp edged objects in the immediate vicinity of the roadway could constitute a danger to motorcyclists. Thus an improved kerb design is required. Positioning and construction of road signs, lighting standards and other road furniture must include the safety needs of motorcyclists. A motorcycle's traction can be seriously compromised by plasticized adhesive road-marking tape and slick road-marking paint. Research and development of better road-marking paints, offering more traction is needed.
 

Road Maintenance Repair materials and procedures often do not respect the original specified quality standards.

Potholes are a hazard that can cause motorcycle crashes. Potholes should be detected and remedied through regular roadway inspection routines. If, for some legitimate reason, impossible to remedy immediately, motorcyclists should be warned of hazard by appropriate traffic sign.

Bituminous asphalt sealer used for crack repair is extremely slick, especially when wet, and is well known for causing motorcycle accidents. Alternative repair methods exist and should be adopted. Further research and a review of standards (EN 1423) are needed. A replacement for existing bituminous asphalt sealer such as the cold-setting Austrian product Stohflex which retains high frictional properties when subject to wear is recommended.

Longitudinal roadway ridges caused by heavy goods vehicles wear, road settlement or road repair can be a significant hazard to motorcyclists. Hazard often occur in connection with resurfacing work. Longitudinal roadway ridges of more than 2 cm should always be tapered. If not possible to remedy immediately, motorcyclists should be warned of hazard by appropriate traffic sign and longitudinal roadway ridges should be marked with cones.

Oil and diesel spills can cause loss of traction and a resulting crash. Oil and diesel spills should be detected and removed through regular roadway inspection routines. If, for some legitimate reason impossible to remedy immediately, motorcyclists should be warned of hazard by appropriate traffic sign. Also, the construction of diesel tanks should be redesigned, making it impossible to over-fill, warning driver if filler-cap is not in place. A fast-track system of reporting spillages to responsible highways authorities through the emergency services should be put into place.

Roadway debris, such as gravel or sand, often resulting from uncovered loads, pose a grater hazard to motorcycles than to multi-wheel vehicles. Roadway debris should be detected and removed through regular roadway inspection routines. If, for some legitimate reason, impossible to remedy immediately, motorcyclists should be warned of hazard by appropriate traffic sign. Sweeping of roadways should be part of regular maintenance routines, particularly in parts of Europe where sand/salt is used to increase traction on icy roads in winter. A similar fast-track reporting system for debris similar to that suggested for spillages should be implemented.

Black Spot management. Specific roadway sections are, for known and unknown reasons, notorious for causing motorcycle accidents. FEMA recommends identification and signposting of these "Black Spots". FEMA recommends looking into the circumstances creating "Black Spots" and, when identified, measures to improve conditions being taken. Signposting black spots must never be used as an excuse for not taking action to remedy road hazards.

 

Specific hazard signposting for motorcyclists
Roadway conditions posing hazards to motorcyclists are rarely signposted, simply because these conditions do not pose hazards to the majority of road-users, namely multi-track vehicles. Specific signposting (combination of existing traffic signs), particularly aimed at warning motorcyclists of hazards is tried in some European countries, e.g. Germany and Norway. FEMA is quite certain that motorcyclists will react to such signposting by immediate speed reduction, readiness to brake and greater alertness. Use of specific signposting would be an extremely cost-effective road safety initiative. However, specific signposting warning motorcyclists must never be used as an excuse for not taking action to remedy road hazards.

 

Handbook for Motorcycle Safety
As mentioned, roadway design, maintenance and construction are generally directed towards the needs of multi-wheel vehicles, with the needs of motorcycles often addressed as an afterthought or not taken into consideration at all. In many European countries, roadway construction and maintenance contracts are out-sourced to private companies with little experience in motorcycle safety who are, therefore, likely to disregard or neglect motorcycle safety. Thus, Public Road Authorities in some European countries, e.g. in Norway and France, have, in close cooperation with the motorcyclists' organisations, produced a Handbook for Motorcycle Safety, with detailed guidelines for all personnel working with roadway construction and maintenance. FEMA would welcome similar initiatives in all Member States.

Roadway Hazard Report Form
Riders are the first to recognize conditions hazardous to motorcyclists, and in several European countries, the motorcyclists' organisations have designed and utilized a Roadway Hazard Report Form. Developing and deploying a uniform, Pan-European Roadway Hazard Report Form, as an instrument of assistance to Public Roads Authorities, may prove effective - particularly when official inspection routines are failing. If supported by National Public Roads Administrations, FEMA may take on the task of creating a uniform Roadway Hazard Report Form to be put on the websites of the national motorcycle organisations, both as an electronic script and as a printable version.