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Home > Motorcyclist Advisory Council (MAC-FHWA)
Roadway Safety for Motorcycles
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Tips for Designing, Constructing, and Maintaining Roadways for Increased Motorcycle Safety
Motorcyclist Fatalities are Increasing Dramatically
The number and rate of motorcyclist deaths on U.S. roads are rising dramatically.
Motorcycle rider fatalities rose 115 percent between 1997 and 2005. During the
same time, fatality numbers and rates for passenger car crashes dropped (Figure
1).
| Figure 1 shows fatality rate trends for motorcycle occupants
versus passenger car occupants. Between 1997 and 2005,
fatality rates for motorcycle occupants rose 115 percent, to
42 fatalities per 100 million motorcycle VMT. During the
same period, fatality rates for car occupants dropped steadily,
to less than 1.2 fatalities per 100 million passenger car VMT. |
In just one year – 2005 – motorcycle crash-related fatalities
increased by 13 percent (to 4,553), making motorcycle
rider fatalities a leading contributor, along with
pedestrian fatalities, to the slight overall increase that
year in the national highway fatality rate.
Trends accompanying the rising motorcyclist death toll
include a dramatic increase in motorcycle ownership,
particularly by riders over 40, along with changes in
other factors such as motorcycle size and rider experience.
The rate of increase in fatalities has outpaced the rate of
increase in motorcycle registrations, and the death and
injury rates among middle-aged motorcycle riders have
increased most rapidly.
Roadway Factors for Safer Riding
Road design and maintenance factors can, and do,
affect motorcycle crashes, injuries and fatalities.
Design, construction, maintenance, and roadway
practitioners can reduce hazards to motorcyclists and
other road users by considering motorcyclist safety.
Pavement Surface
- Patch potholes promptly. Potholes pose a greater
hazard to the operation of motorcycles than to
larger vehicles.
- Specify pavement surfaces with adequate pavement
friction. Examine the friction characteristics
of asphalt sealants and of intersection markings.
The use of thermoplastics, particularly for broad,
horizontal intersection lines, can create slippery
surfaces for motorcycles that stop at the intersections.
Metal road surface components – either
temporary or permanent – offer limited traction in
many cases, and, when wet, are difficult to see.
- Reduce uneven road surfaces. Milled surfaces,
parallel paving lane joints, parallel grids on
bridges, steel plates, and other uneven roadway
surfaces can be especially hazardous for
motorcycles.
- Require tidy crack repairs. A motorcycle's traction
can be seriously compromised by "tar snakes" –
excess asphalt or other sealants used for crack
repair.
- Remove debris and fluid spills quickly and
thoroughly. Roadway debris and fluid spills pose
greater hazards to the operation of motorcycles
than to larger vehicles. Debris can deflect
a motorcycle's wheel or hit the
motorcyclist. Fluid spills can
easily cause loss of traction.
Roadside Safety
- Install safety edges. Untapered
vertical shoulder drop-offs are
even more dangerous for
motorcycles than for other
vehicles. Adopting a standard
contract specification requiring
a 30-35° angle asphalt wedge along each side
of the roadway in all construction and resurfacing
projects is a simple and cost-effective way to
assure pavement edge safety.
- Consider motorcyclist safety when designing
roadsides. The potential impact on motorcycle
riders should be considered in design and placement
of roadside safety hardware, clear zones and
side slopes, and other roadside safety strategies.
Visibility and Warning
- Consider motorcyclist hazard warning signs.
Signage targeted toward motorcyclists can warn
of conditions that are especially hazardous for
them. These might include uneven pavement
surfaces, rumblestrips or crosswinds.
- Ensure visibility of signs and roadway markings.
Keep in mind that many motorcycles have only
a single headlamp for illumination.
The Integrated Safety Solution –
Safe Drivers, Safe Vehicles, Safe Roads
Safer roadways are just a small part of the solution to
reducing the alarming trend toward increased motorcyclist
injuries and fatalities. Motorcyclists should equip
themselves with helmets and other protective clothing
and equipment, get professional training, maximize
their conspicuity through lighting and apparel, obtain
the proper motorcycle license, and absolutely never
drink and ride. Motorcycles should be properly
maintained and operated. All road users, including
drivers, motorcycle riders, and pedestrians need to
obey the rules of the road and respect the rights of
all. Only by addressing the problem from all angles
can we achieve the desired result of safer roadways
for all users.
For More Information
Dr. Morris Oliver
FHWA, Office of Safety (HSA)
Southeast Federal Center, Room E-71
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202.366.2288
http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/mac
FHWA-SA-07-012
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