Pilot Study of Instrumentation to Collect Behavioral Data to Identify On-Road Rider Behaviors

Motorcycle-related research questions of interest to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) were reviewed. Instrumentation techniques and study procedures that have been used for light- and heavy-vehicle studies were adapted for use in answering the motorcycle-related questions. Three motorcyclists rode with instrumentation for a total of over 3,100 miles. The final data acquisition system and instrumentation recorded acceleration in three axes, yaw, pitch, roll, geographic location, rear-wheel speed, position in lane, turn-signal use, braking, range and closing speed to forward objects, and five video views. The sensor and video data were collected continuously while the bike was running. Development of helmet-mounted eye tracking and three dimensional head tracking instrumentation for use in naturalistic studies was attempted. Study components including recruiting, screening, questionnaires, and garage procedures were also tested. Analyses were conducted to illustrate possible uses of the data and to confirm the effectiveness of the adapted instrumentation. An independent evaluator reviewed the project, including the technical approach, instrumentation, data and questionnaires. Demonstration of motorcycle instrumentation that will support the majority of NHTS's motorcycle research questions was successful. Instrumentation for fine measurement of gaze location in naturalistic situations was not successful. Identification of coarse scan behavior and general areas where riders are looking (e.g., forward, left, right, down, rearward) was possible.