Rider Insights on Motorcycle Safety Tech: What Drives—or Blocks—Adoption of ABS, MSC, and AEB

Abstract

Advanced Rider Assistance Systems (ARAS) have multiple benefits to motorcycle riders, auto manufacturers, individual states, and any person interested in reducing roadway fatalities. ARAS technologies are a promising approach to reducing fatalities by preventing the crashes that cause them. Three technologies were selected for study utilizing a survey-based approach to understand riders’ attitudes toward their use. Anti-lock brakes (ABS) represent an existing and mature technology likely encountered by many riders. Motorcycle Stability Control (MSC) is a technology present on several high-end motorcycles and uses braking to stabilize the motorcycle in a curve. Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) is a nascent technology in the motorcycle world but has existed since the early 2000s in the passenger vehicle domain. This study surveyed 1,391 licensed riders and sought to accomplish four objectives related to understanding attitudes toward ARAS, gaining specificity behind these attitudes, understanding barriers, and overcoming those barriers. Overall, motorcycle riders recognize that ARAS improve safety, but adoption is slowed by cost, misunderstanding, and concerns about riding identity. These barriers are solvable. Through hands-on experiences, education, and incentives, stakeholders can accelerate ARAS adoption, improve rider safety, and drive market growth.