PISa - Powered Two-wheeler Integrated Safety
Overview
Background & policy context:
Currently, almost 40 000 people are killed every year on EU roads. About 6 500 of them are drivers and passengers of powered two-wheelers (PTWs), i.e. motorcycles and mopeds. Motorcycle or moped travel carries a risk of death per kilometre travelled 20 times higher than that for car travel. PTW accidents now represent a major subject for road safety in Europe. The safety of vulnerable road users, including motorcycle and moped riders, is one of the priorities of the European Community.
Developing countries have a much lower level of motorisation and the road usage pattern is significantly different from those of developed ones. The proportion of PTWs in these countries is extremely high and the traffic usage patterns are very complex. In India, for instance, PTWs account for about 80% of the domestic automotive sales. This means that these countries are exposed to a much higher level of road accident risk. Typically about 39% of the annual 336 000 road traffic deaths in South East Asia are PTW users.
India's automotive policy (2002-2010) has given a major thrust to improving the road infrastructure, which is abysmally poor in comparison to the growth of traffic (7-10% per annum). While this will largely help in decongesting the roads and reducing the probability of accident occurrence, the motor vehicle rules are being continuously improved to enhance the design of vehicles for safety.
PTWs are single track vehicles, which means that the rider has a more difficult vehicle to control in relation to a car, in particular when cornering or braking, and even more so in emergency situations. Only a few (high-end) motorcycle brands are fitted with ABS and (partly) combined braking systems. Optimization of the PTW brake performance will reduce the impact speed in case an accident cannot be avoided and this will directly reduce the fatality rate and injury level.
Objectives:
Main objective/mission:
The aim of this project was to develop and use new technologies to provide integrated safety systems for a range of Powered Two Wheelers. The systems were developed, in order to improve primary safety and so that they could be linked to secondary safety devices. The project aimed to develop reliable and fail-safe systems which offer improved safety.
The rationale for the PISa project was that the research would contribute to the general EU target of 50% reduction in road accident fatalities; the PISa objectives were aligned with this ambition. PISa also contributed to India’s automotive policy by enhancing the safety of PTW designs.
The quantified objectives for the integrated system were to combine sensors and an advanced braking and suspension system to:
- Avoid 50% of accidents where a collision was not inevitable;
- Reduce the impact speed, and hence reduce the injury severity by one MAIS integer for 50% of accidents where a collision was inevitable;
- Prevent 50% of the single vehicle loss of control accidents.
Scientific and technical objectives:
- Identify the most frequent causes - precipitating factors and contributory factors - of PTW accidents and how the rider interacted with the PTW during the pre-crash phase by analysing PTW accident data and video tapes recorded at dangerous junctions.
- Examine rider and bike interaction when riding along known accident sites using an instrumented PTW.
- Assess and measure rider behaviour in dangerous manoeuvres identified from the accident analysis and instrumented PTW by using computer models, including human muscle activity, that replicate the interaction between a rider and a PTW.
- Assess and measure the PTW behaviour and response in dangerous manoeuvres, identify potential areas for improvement by use of triggered control mechanisms on for instance suspension, brakes, steering.
- Identify existing technologies and safety systems in passenger cars and assess their usability in PTWs.
- Develop a PTW safety system that integrates sensors, warning devices – visual, acoustic, and/or mechanical – an intelligent braking system and automatically variable suspension that will reduce the incidence and severity of PTW accidents.
- Assess the costs of the PTW safety system and the benefits in terms of reduction in accidents and injuries.
- Fit the prototype integrated safety sy
Methodology:
The PISa project developed advanced integrated safety systems similar to those fitted to cars. These comprise sensors to detect a potential emergency, an advanced braking and suspension system that will respond to inputs from the sensors and warning devices to assist the rider. The systems take into account human reaction to information, warning and support systems. The (pre-crash) sensors could be linked to a black box that fires an airbag or other passive safety devices when the system has decided that crash avoidance is not possible, thus creating a genuine integrated safety system.
The system components include sensors, a PTW state estimator, logic control, warning devices, and advanced/intelligent actuators within brakes and suspensions elements to assist the rider. Specific sensors and actuators are developed and integrated into an operational safety system for PTWs to allow for driver warning and assistance and to improve handling and stability, to be innovative and beyond current state-of-the-art. The developed systems are then implemented in PTWs and evaluated by executing road and track tests and performing simulations. The cost savings in terms of reduction in accidents and injuries will be related to the costs of fitting the integrated safety systems to PTWs.
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