Two important Trends in Motorcycle Safety Regulations: Rider Education and Conspicuity improvement

Scientific inquiry into the causes of motorcycle accidents points to two significant features, namely inexperience by the motorcycle operator and the difficulty of detecting motorcycles and their speed in oncoming traffic. Two recent trends in motorcycle safety have evolved in the past decade which promise to ease the rising fatality and accident rates.

First, while automobile driver training has been available for years, only recently has a standard motorcycle curriculum been developed, recently being set in place and funded by legislative bills in twenty-three states. Second, in an effort to provide in-traffic conspicuity for motorcycle operators, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently decided to amend it's Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to allow “high technology” headlights, notably ones which modulate light intensity.

This paper tracks the history, development, and scientific support for motorcycle education legislation and improved in-traffic conspicuity.