Important advances have been accomplished during the past decade in reducing the injury severity for occupants in automobile collisions. This reduction has in part resulted from research into crash dynamics and the mechanism of occupant injury. There has been some research into motorcycle dynamics, but very little research into the mechanism of injury and injury severity.
A clinical analysis of motorcycle collisions in Southern California was performed to evaluate the patterns of injury, mechanisms of injury and source of injury. The injuries were found to derive from three primary sources: the motorcycle, the object struck and the surface.
The different injury patterns are discussed with reference to crash dynamics, impact location on struck vehicle and rider impact kinematics and post-collision trajectories. Certain conclusions and recommendations are drawn with respect to motorcycle modifications for injury reduction, motorcycle visibility during daylight hours and accident causation.