Safer Motorcycling Grants for Protective Gear
The Victorian Government recently announced the recipients of the Safer Motorcycling Grants Program.
Fourteen organisations have received grants as part of the $4 million program to deliver a range of innovative projects to improve safety for motorcyclists in Victoria.
Five of these new projects, detailed below, involve research and education about protective clothing, with the findings likely to be of interest to MotoCAP’s users.
Updating the content of The Good Gear Guide – a guide to help motorcyclists choose the best safety gear to meet their needs.
The Good Gear Guide, written by Liz de Rome and supported by the National Road Safety Council, was published in 2009 to help riders choose good performing protective clothing long before MotoCAP. An updated Good Gear Guide reflecting the current protective gear market and technologies, as well as new knowledge on gear design and performance, is a welcome addition for assisting riders in choosing the right gear.
Developing educational resources on the dangers of purchasing low-cost protective gear
While MotoCAP has shown that good protection doesn’t necessarily need to cost more, sometimes a deal is too good to be true. Currently, MotoCAP randomly selects products to test and rate from those available in a physical store in Australia or New Zealand, while there are many more products advertised and sold only online. This project will highlight the importance of independent testing and to be wary about products that may claim more protection than they provide.
Determining whether autonomous vehicle safety systems (without human control) can detect motorcyclists wearing hi-vis clothing and at night.
Hi-vis clothing is intended to make riders more visible to drivers and reduce the number of SMIDSY, “Sorry Mate, I Didn’t See You”, crashes. A recent study in the US found that vehicles had trouble detecting pedestrians in hi-vis clothing which impaired the performance of the autonomous emergency braking. This project will look to see if vehicle safety system improvements are needed to detect hi-vis riders.
Improving the design of motorcycle and rider clothing using motion simulators in a closed environment.
This project will use a state-of-the-art simulator to determine how best to make riders visible to real drivers, whether that’s through the design of the motorcycle or rider clothing. We look forward to the findings and what they mean for designing protective gear that might also help prevent a crash occurring.
Motorcycle maintenance training and safety equipment education program.
Good motorcycling gear is just one aspect of motorcyclist safety. This project will provide new & existing riders with a better understanding of the MotoCAP rating system, alongside educating them on the importance of pre-ride motorcycle safety checks and regular maintenance.
The Safer Motorcycling Grants Program funds new and innovative projects aimed at improving motorcycle safety in Victoria. This first-of-its-kind grants program is funded by the Motorcycle Safety Levy and delivered by the Department of Transport and Planning. Find out more at vic.gov.au.
