Introduction
This report provides a summary of road trial investigations conducted during the motorcycle seasons of 2020, 2021 and 2022. Research findings are presented, and the reader is signposted to more in-depth analyses contained in scientific journal papers that have been peer-reviewed by the academic community and published during the course of the work.
The practical aim of this research was to inform road safety engineering measures and reduce motorcycle casualties through the installation of novel road markings designed as ‘Perceptual Rider Information to Maximise Expertise/Enjoyment’ (PRIMEs).
This is a new and innovative approach to casualty reduction that sets out to ‘prime’ behaviour through the use of dedicated road markings for motorcyclists. The road markings have been designed to provide a tool for motorcyclists to adapt their behaviour on approach to a potential hazard therefore optimising their expertise and enjoyment while remaining safe on the road.
Transport Scotland recently published its ‘Road Safety Framework to 2030′ with a long-term goal for road safety where no-one dies or is seriously injured by 2050 (Transport Scotland, 2021). Building on the strength of the previous 2020 Framework, it proposes a ‘Safe Systems’ approach to road safety delivery as set out in the National Transport Strategy Delivery Plan (Transport Scotland, 2020). This will be achieved by developing a more forgiving road system that addresses human vulnerability and fallibility to prevent deaths and serious injuries.
In support of this mission and the research aim, specific objectives have been identified:
- to inform road safety treatments for motorcyclists, address Action 8 of the Strategic Road Safety Plan and reduce motorcycle casualties
- to support rider training and road user education initiatives, encouraging motorcyclists and other road users to consider motorcycling as a wider reaching activity
- to feed into rider information initiatives already developed to support Transport Scotland’s and the Scottish Government’s work in this area (e.g. ‘LiveFastDieOld’)
Throughout this work a key focus was the need to implement safety measures that can reduce motorcycle casualties and reach out to and engage with, the motorcycling community. Underpinning this philosophy was the understanding that for engineering measures to be effective, they need to be evidence-based, located where they are most likely to make a difference and developed from the motorcyclist’s perspective (Stedmon, McKenzie, Langham, McKechnie, Perry and Wilson, 2021, 2022).
This research built upon previous work in New Zealand that Prof Stedmon was directly involved with, where Perceptual Counter-Measures (PCMs) were trialled to support motorcycle safety on bends through the correct combination of safe speed, lateral position, and effective braking prior to the bend (Hirsch, Moore, Stedmon, Mackie, and Scott, 2017; Hirsch, Scott, Mackie, Stedmon and Moore, 2018).
In the current research programme, this work was extended over a 3-year period through world-first trials of unique PRIME road markings for motorcyclists.
Throughout this summary report, the reader is directed to scientific publications that provide in-depth reviews, details of research design, analyses and results of specific elements of the work (Stedmon, McKenzie, Langham, McKechnie, Perry and Wilson, 2021, 2022, 2023).
The knowledge base that has been established through this work is unique and has implications for road safety, casualty reduction and education initiatives around Scotland, the UK and at international levels.