Conference – Safer Crash Barriers

Italy – It has been some time since we have attended any motorcycle conference or been “out” in the world of motorcycle events about research and riders’ issues.

It is a world that is populated by those through their specialised fields and riders’ representation that are steering the issues riders face as well as those along for the ride who fund and plan what issues are important to make for safer motorcycling.

Elaine from Motorcycle Minds is currently very active, researching the Dynamics of Motorcycle  Crashes as part of a team conducting a rider’s survey/study which is being promoted world-wide in eight languages

In that context, Elaine will attend the upcoming – International Conference On Road Safety For Motorcyclists – being held in Pereto, Italy (near Rome) on the 20th of September 2019 jointly organised by AISICO and ERF.

International Conference On Road Safety For Motorcyclists

The object of the conference is to investigate the main issues related to the road safety for motorcyclists from different point of view and to sensitize the industry experts about it.

AISICO are a, “leader in the road safety sector, performs crash tests according to the most widely accepted European and international regulations on all types of road devices.” Basically, they crash vehicles into road side furniture to test them according to the required standards to enable the likes of crash barriers to be fitted into the public road system.

ERF (European Union Road Federation) who are, “a non-profit association which coordinates the views of Europe’s road infrastructure sector and acts as a platform for research and dialogue on mobility issues between stakeholders and institutional players.”

AISICO state that, “The need of an international debate about this subject arise from the release, in April, of a new Italian decree about the road safety system for motorcyclists. The decree following the EU regulation CEN/TS 17342:2019 and describes the technical specifications to reduce the impact severity of motorcyclists collisions with safety barriers.

Thanks to the support of our European partners, such as FEMA, AMI, FIM Europe and the support of several Italian universities, such as University of Florence, University of Milan- Politecnico di Milano, University of Naples and the University of Rome- La Sapienza we are able to present this conference with the aim to inform and raise awareness among the operators of the industry.”

The agenda for the conference is a packed one, the first session will be, “Dedicated to the actual problems related to motorcyclist, the risk of impacting a safety barrier and the importance of installing motorcyclists’ protections systems (MPS).

The European technical specification CEN /TS 17342:2019 (supersedes CEN/TS 1317:8) will be analyzed and as well the new decree that has been issued in Italy last April which gives indications to reduce the impact severity of motorcyclist collisions with safety barriers. During this session a crash test on an MPS will be carried out. 

The second session will be focused on issues related to mechanical and biomechanical problems in case of incident.

Three crash tests will be carried out : the first  and the second one due to perform the MPS devices; the third one consists of a full-scale lateral impact on a motorcycle organized in collaboration and support with the University of Florence.”

Crash Barrier (Vehicle Restraint)

At Motorcycle Minds (previously Right To Ride) we have always have been involved in the crash barrier (Vehicle Restraint) issue. Back in 2010 when we first set up Motorcycle Minds one of our contributors, Javier Rodríguez wrote about  Crash Barriers in Spain where he said, “The design of safe roads is a concept that goes beyond putting an endless number of obstacles on the sides of a road.”

We wrote extensively on the subject especially regarding Wire Rope Barriers (Restraint Systems) in Right To Ride – Crash Barriers – Wired Up – with a conclusion that could aptly be presented at the conference, “Those responsible for the fitment of crash barriers, should be encouraged not to be influenced solely by short term “commercial” cost benefit analysis which may exclude motorcycles, simply because they represent a minority of road users.

While engineering solutions may strive to protect the majority (i.e. cars), the long term impact may be far more costly due to the lack of consideration of motorcyclists and their injuries.

Motorcycle Friendly Barriers that are added to barriers in place should be considered and fitted where there is a risk to motorcyclists hitting barriers and consideration to the placement of new barriers and a review/audit of barriers already in place.

There should be a reconsideration of the use of Wire rope Barriers (in Northern Ireland).

This is in consideration that road safety engineers are responsible for designing the road network to be as safe as possible, for all types of road user.

Which are designed to reduce the number and severity of casualties and to prevent them in the first place.

That riders’ representative groups are contacted for their opinion – always!”

Thus, it is good to see that FEMA (Federation Of European Motorcyclists Associations) is a patron of the event along with FIM Europe (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) and FMI (Federazione Motociclistica Italiana) with the FEMA General Secretary, Dolf Willigers presenting – Road restraint System for Motoryclists: hazard or safety?.

FEMA has long been involved in the issue around crash barriers and motorcyclists – FEMA – Final report of the Motorcyclists & Crash Barriers Project – 2000 pdf 738kb – and –  New Standards For Road Restraint Systems For Motorcyclists – Designing Safer Roadsides For Motorcyclists – 2012 pdf 2.01mb – and at www.mc-roadsidebarriers.eu where FEMA stated, “Ubiquitous along European roads, roadside barriers – guardrails, concrete walls and other types of barriers – represent a paradox in road safety. They are meant to restrain errant vehicles, avoid damage and injury to property and persons behind the barrier, and save the lives of drivers and passengers; but are identified by motorcyclists as a clear danger.”

What’s Out There

With the conference to analyse the “new” European technical specification CEN /TS 17342:2019 – “the technical specifications to reduce the impact severity of motorcyclists collisions with safety barriers.” we thought we would have a quick look at the information available.

A quick Google search brought up the webpage of the EESTI – Standardikeskus – Estonian centre For Standardisation (EVS) which gives enough details for us regarding CEN /TS 17342:2019 – the scope and a preview of the provisional application of the technical specifications – Road restraint systems – Motorcycle road restraint systems which reduce the impact severity of motorcyclist collisions with safety barriers which you need to purchase to view the full technical specification.

What we have is some information that refers to:

• requirements the impact performance of systems designed for the reduction of impact severity for PTW riders impacting safety barriers whilst sliding along the ground, having fallen from their PTW vehicle. The protection systems concerned are those fitted to barriers or barriers that have an inherent PTW rider protection or risk reduction capability.

• defines performance classes taking into account rider speed classes, impact severity and the working width of the system with respect to rider impacts.

• Accident statistics from several European countries have shown that riders are injured when impacting barriers either whilst still on their vehicles or having fallen and then sliding along the road surface. Whilst different statistical sources show one or the other of these configurations to be predominant, all known studies show both to constitute a major proportion of rider to barrier impact accidents. Some studies showing the sliding configuration to be predominant have led to the development and use of test procedures in some European countries, evaluating systems with respect to the sliding configuration.

• It is for this reason that it was decided to address the issue of sliding riders initially, in order to bring about the adoption of a European Standard in as timely a manner as possible. However, the rider on vehicle configuration should also be considered as soon as possible as a subsequent addition.

What the CEN /TS 17342:2019 also appears to do is to remove the testing of MPS (Motorcycle Protection System) out of the previous standard that had other vehicles included, but must be applied in conjunction with these previous standards.

• According  to  the  CEN/CENELEC  Internal  Regulations,  the  national  standards  organisations  of  the  following  countries  are  bound  to  announce  this  Technical  Specification:  Austria,  Belgium,  Bulgaria,  Croatia,  Cyprus,  Czech  Republic,  Denmark,  Estonia,  Finland,  Former  Yugoslav  Republic  of  Macedonia,  France,   Germany,   Greece,   Hungary,   Iceland,   Ireland,   Italy,   Latvia,   Lithuania,   Luxembourg,   Malta,   Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

Is your country listed and how would you make sure that the relevant authorities are applying this to their national standards? 

Looking Forward

Testing has moved on since 1966 when the UKs Ministry of Transport through the Road Research Laboratory published a report regarding vehicle impact tests on the serious consideration of using hedging – Rosa Multiflora Japonica – to prevent vehicles crossing into the opposite carriageway.

“With testing of the hedging reminiscent of a “British Boffin” development of secret weapons, the driver of the vehicle, it would appear there was no crash test dummies in those days, was instructed to drive at a steady approach speed and not to brake, accelerate, or attempt to steer the vehicle while in the hedge.”

“It is evident that a hedge of rosa multiflora Japonica would not be a positive barrier for vehicles traveling at full motorway speeds.”

Vehiicle Impact Tests On A Hedge Of Rosa Multiflora Japonica

We look forward to attending the conference and hedging our bets on an informative and enlightening programme on these specifications to reduce the impact severity of motorcyclists collisions with safety barriers. 

Original Sources – AISICO – International Conference on Road Safety for Motoryclists – ERF – International Conference on Road Safety for Motorcyclist

Information – Motorcycle Minds – Crash Barriers