MOTORCYCLE SAFETY
In general, motorcycle design over the last 20 years has yielded steady safety improvements. The motorcycles of today are better in virtually every significant safety area than those of just two decades ago.
Current motorcycles have better brakes, greater stability, more responsive steering, more effective controls, improved ergonomics for better control and reduced fatigue, and improved reliability in all systems than those of even a decade ago.
The acceleration and top speed of the most powerful models (mostly sport bikes) have increased continually. The effect of these performance increases on safety is currently unknown. This is because most motorcycle deaths do not occur at high speeds, as many people often believe.
Tires, which are particularly crucial components on a two-wheeled vehicle, have advanced significantly and have contributed much to vehicle performance, reliability, and safety. Modern tires are more durable, offer better traction for turning and stopping, and have contributed to significantly improving stability compared with their counterparts of the 1970s.
Some motorcycles have hand and foot controls that can be adjusted to accommodate various riders with larger or smaller than average hands and feet, thereby increasing the riders’ control of these motorcycles.
Modern braking systems are often significantly more powerful and can have an antilock braking system and/or linked front and rear application.
Lack of rider protection is a characteristic of all motorcycles. Research into devices to reduce rider injuries in crashes is ongoing. Because of the lack of coupling between motorcycle and rider (which would create an additional hazard), motorcycle-mounted rider protection systems have significant limitations
• Motorcycle airbags have been under study for 30 years both as vehicle equipment and as a part of the rider’s apparel. At this time, the benefits and risks, such as undesired deployment, are still under investigation. See the following link regarding my article on motorcycle airbags.
