Taking the correct cornering line is an absolute must for motorcyclists. KFV, the Austrian Kuratorium für Verkehrssicherheit, investigated the effect of innovative road markings for motorcyclists in risky Tyrolean curves and provided proof of success: the white ellipses on the road resulted in motorcyclists choosing a safer through curves and a reduction in the number of motorcycle accidents by 80 percent.

Taking the corner safely in the correct riding line – that’s how it should be. The correct cornering line is an absolute must for motorcyclists – motorized vehicles without a crumple zone. A look at the accident statistics shows that most motorcycle accidents on Austria’s roads occur in bends.

The cause of many motorcycle accidents is an incorrectly chosen cornering line; if the upper body extends too far to the left in a left-hand bend, i.e. into the oncoming lane, it is often no longer possible to spontaneously swerve without causing an accident when oncoming traffic suddenly appears. If a collision with the oncoming vehicle can still be avoided, the machine is jerked upwards from the lower lean angle and the journey continues in a tighter curve radius – a tricky feat of driving technique of the highest order that does not always work.

The accident data from Statistics Austria analysed by the KFV (Road Safety Board) show that choosing the wrong riding line all too often leads directly to disaster. ‘Leaving the road on the right side in a left-hand bend’ is the second most common type of motorcycle accident after ‘falling from the vehicle’. Sad proof of unsuccessful cornering manoeuvres – and of the importance of choosing a safe riding line, especially in tight, blind bends.

In order to reduce the high risk of accidents in these notorious danger areas, the KFV research team, in cooperation with the state of Tyrol, the regional executive and the local road maintenance departments, developed a new type of optically conductive road marking, which was used in 2019 in 19 critical Tyrolean curves where other mitigation measures had already failed: white elliptical-shaped films which – strung together like a string of pearls along the centre line – are intended to ensure more respectful distance from the oncoming lane. The before and after analysis delivers an impressive success result: the innovative optical support brought about an 80% reduction in the number of motorcycle accidents in the test curves.

Impassable bends are dangerous terrain – bends with an increasingly narrower radius are even more so. Choosing a safe riding line is a must for motorcyclists here. In the alpine state of Tyrol – for topographical reasons – there are some notorious bends like that. These classic high-risk bends were examined in detail by the KFV research team in terms of accident rates and also precisely targeted on site – in a reality check – on a motorcycle. As a safety measure that can be implemented promptly, the installation of optical floor guidance elements was put at the top of the project team’s to-do list.

Motorcyclists generally avoid riding on road markings , even if they are sufficiently grippy and non-slip, at least when new, even in the rain. The interdisciplinary KFV team took advantage of this basic riding technique principle for two-wheelers, which is rightly promoted in driving schools, when developing the new elliptical films.

‘The decrease in motorcycle accidents in the 19 test curves is 80% – clear proof of the safety effect of the ellipses’.

In early summer 2019, the 19 selected risk curves on Tyrolean country roads were provided with the innovative floor markings. 3M Stamark 380 film material was used – the reasons for choosing this material included its particularly high coefficient of friction and the fact that it can be driven on immediately after the film has been applied.

In 2023, all accident sites identified in the 2019 pilot study were examined again – taking into account the reduced mileage in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.

The latest check provides encouraging feedback :

• The curve riding lines of the single-lane vehicles could be successfully influenced thanks to the elliptical films along the right edge of the centre line: the majority of motorcyclists avoided driving on the ellipses and chose their riding lines at a safe distance from the centre of the road.
• In all 19 curves, there were only a total of four motorcycle accidents involving personal injury between July 2019 and the end of 2021. The decrease in motorcycle accidents in the 19 test curves is 80% – clear proof of the safety effect of the ellipses.

Based on the latest findings, the KFV research team recommends the following measures to defuse accident-prone curves:

• Life-saving ellipses: the ellipse markings tested in the Tyrolean practical test to provide visual orientation and influence the choice of driving line for single-lane vehicles have proven to be a safety measure in left and right bends. Ellipses can save lives.
• Motorcycle-friendly guide elements: in the interests of forgiving infrastructure, as few obstacles as possible should be placed in the potential fall line of motorcyclists. Guide angles should be made of flexible plastic, and guide rails on motorcycle routes should be double-planked.
• Avoiding and repairing bends with an increasingly narrower radius: narrower bends are a massive risk – and not just for motorcyclists. Such line designs should be avoided in future road construction, and existing bends liker that must be repaired.

The life-saving ellipses are also on the road to success internationally. A look across borders shows that pilot studies on safety-enhancing road markings for single-lane roads are also underway in countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Scotland, Spain and Australia.

The recommendations for safer curves are also part of SMC’s and FEMA’s report ‘Safer roads for motorcyclists‘.

Click here to download the KFV study.

Source: KFV

Top photograph courtesy of KFV/Martin Winkelbauer

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