The Motorcycle Safety Foundation has started what it calls the first-ever naturalistic study of motorcycling, with 100 motorcycles equipped with data logging equipment to record real-world riding situations over the course of a year.
The information will valuable data that will help shape the MSF’s rider education and rider training program and other safety initiatives.
“Our priority with this research is to observe the participants on a day-to-day basis,” says Dr. Sherry Williams, MSF director of quality assurance and research. “We’re installing unobtrusive cameras and recording devices on the bikes so the participants soon forget they’re being recorded. We can learn a tremendous amount by just observing their normal, routine riding behavior.”
Each of the 100 motorcycles is equipped with five cameras, a GPS, radar, machine vision lane tracker, accelerometer, gyroscopes, radar and sensors for the brake lever and pedal input. The equipment will be used to gather data in real environments, totaling about 500,000 miles of riding. The test motorcycles were prepared by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.
