The objective of this research is to investigate the behaviour of motorcyclists in motorcycle to car impacts applying a novel safety restraint concept with state-of-the-art human body models (HBMs). A selection of current finite element HBMs with sex variants were positioned on the motorcycle’s seat, footrests, and handlebar. Kinematics and kinetics of motorcyclists were simulated using HBMs and models of anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) in representative impact scenarios. The scenarios were implemented with a finite element model representing motorcycle surfaces in interaction with the rider combined with vehicle impact trajectories derived from multi-body simulations.

The HBMs provided insight into kinematics and kinetics of motorcycle riders that cannot be identified by ATDs in a specific load case with a novel passive safety system for a motorcycle. The accordance of Hybrid III ATD and HBM simulation results was higher in the frontal impact configuration. The higher spine flexibility in the HBMs leads to later head-airbag impact times and greater head accelerations in the lateral crash configuration. Although variations in the HBM and ATD responses were observed, the proposed motorcycle’s passive safety concept responded robustly to variations of the rider surrogates in all shown cases by preventing direct impacts on opposing vehicle structures.