Development and Evaluation of Concrete Barrier Containment Options for Errant Motorcycle Riders

Motorcycles are among the most vulnerable vehicles on the road. Although a combination of different factors may cause motorcycle crashes, an appropriate design of roadside safety systems can play an important role in limiting the severity of motorcycle crashes. Roadside safety systems are not typically designed with the special needs of motorcyclists in mind. The Roadside Design Guide provides guidelines for proper concrete barrier placement on roadways but does not address motorcycle barriers (1). The Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware includes testing guidelines and evaluation criteria for roadside safety barriers impacted by errant vehicles but does not address impacts by motorcycles (2). There is a need to improve motorcyclist safety by designing and evaluating a containment system for upright errant motorcycle riders impacting a concrete barrier. This system would prevent riders from flying over, while limiting injury severity to the rider during the impact event. In this study, finite element comp...