Retrofit Design of Guard Fence System to Accommodate Motorcycle Safety

Abstract

Among all users of the road system, motorcyclists are the most vulnerable. Roadside safety systems and its design play an important role in the severity of motorcycle crashes. Data shows that from 2004, the number of fatalities related to motorcycle impact against safety barriers was greater than the number of fatalities recorded from the impact of passenger car users against same roadside safety devices. Although there are no guiding principles providing proper use and testing of motorcycle friendly retrofit barriers, there is a need to develop an appropriately designed guardrail system retrofit to address motorcycle-rider fatalities associated with barrier impacts, which can happen with the rider being either in a sliding or upright position. Retrofit system for placement on appropriate high speed roadways at locations that are more likely to be associated with motorcycle impact fatalities and severe injuries shall be considered. Hence an appropriate “motorcycle-friendly” retrofit guard fence system will be developed for evaluation to determine its compliance with the 2016 American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH), per Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) requirement. This project is funded by Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).