Motorcycle accident scenarios are inherently complex and unpredictable. In severe accidents, motorcyclists often suffer multiple serious injuries. Would it be safer for a motorcycle rider to be restrained to the motorcycle rather than exposed to the unpredictable sequence of the accident? What methods allow us to answer this efficiently for the many possible scenarios? To investigate those research questions, a motorcycle model and a novel safety concept, a combination of thigh belts, airbags, and impact protectors, were developed in a finite element simulation environment for detailed rider-to-motorcycle interaction. Restrained surrogate models of a small female and mid-sized male rider were studied in various impact configurations.

Restraining the rider to the motorcycle, decelerating the resulting upper-body motion with airbags and the interaction of upper and lower extremities with the handlebar and leg impact protectors led to a guided and controlled trajectory. The methodology used as part of a multi-stage development process, with increasing complexity and expected fidelity, allowed detailed representation of diverse motorcyclists and their interaction with a motorcycle while efficiently incorporating full vehicle interaction.