A variety of on-vehicle techniques intended to improve the sideward and rearward conspicuity of motorcycles and mopeds were tested under both laboratory and real-world conditions. The research was performed for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Motorcycle and moped accident data from several states and from NHTSA's Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) were reviewed and analyzed. A number of key parameters concerning vehicle, operator, and environmental conditions were identified. These parameters were used to define the requirements for conspicuity aids and to create conceptual designs for lighting and reflectorization of the vehicles. A panel of motorcycle, moped, and highway safety experts reviewed the various designs, enabling the selection of the most promising treatments for further testing.

A laboratory experiment that simulated the appearance of prototypes of each of the treatments enabled elimination of all but the most effective designs from further testing under real-world conditions. The best devices were tested in traffic on both urban and rural roads during daylight and darkness to determine the extent to which they improved the conspicuity of a test motorcycle and moped.