This research focuses on the use of Event Data Recorders (EDR) to assist in calculating speed loss or ΔV undergone by a motorcycle in a broadside type impact into a vehicle. If the struck vehicle has EDR data, this could be a useful tool in calculating motorcycle ΔV or corroborating motorcycle ΔV calculations from crush or other methodologies. Certain parameters critical to calculation of motorcycle ΔV must be considered, including the appropriate effective mass to use for the motorcycle/rider combination. This study used crash test data to determine a method of applying parameter values to accurately calculate motorcycle ΔV in a motorcycle-vehicle collision.
In this study, three crash tests were performed in which a motorcycle with a dummy rider traveling in the range of 42 to 51 mph collided into the right front corner of a vehicle traveling between 5 and 16 mph. In all three tests, both the vehicle and motorcycle were instrumented with triaxial accelerometers and triaxial rate gyros. The first test involved a 2002 Kawasaki ZRX1200R traveling at 42.2 mph into the right front corner of a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu traveling at 5 mph. The impact occurred just forward of the vehicle’s right front wheel area. The second test involved a 2006 Yamaha YZF-R6 traveling at 48.1 mph into the right front corner of a 2012 Ford Focus traveling at 14 mph. The impact occurred near the vehicle’s right front headlight/bumper reinforcement area. The third test involved a 2013 Kawasaki Ninja EX300 traveling at 50.5 mph into the right front corner of a 2015 Nissan Sentra traveling at 9 mph. Again, the impact occurred near the vehicle’s right front headlight/bumper reinforcement area.
In all the tests, the vehicle ACM-recorded data underreported the longitudinal ΔV in the range of 0.8-1.3 mph. Additionally, in all tests the vehicle ACM-recorded data overreported the lateral ΔV by 0.4-0.5 mph. This overreporting was present after adjustments were made for the ACM location. Overall, the EDR data was able to predict the motorcycle ΔV within a range of -5.9 mph to +3.1 mph. The underpredicted values were calculated with full rider and motorcycle weight, and the overpredicted values were calculated with half the rider weight.