The Scene
THE SCENE
THE MOTORCYCLE air bag crash test shown on pages 68-69 of this issue were conducted by England's Dr. Peter Bothwell at the Motor Industries Research Association crash facility, Nuneaton, England, last October. Dr. Bothwell's research on airbag performance and feasibility for motorcycles is funded by a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration contract through the University of Denver, Denver, Colo.
Bothwell, an avid motorcyclist himself, owns a stable of machines that includes the famous ex-John Surtees Desmo Ducati racing Twins, one of which is now being prepared for competition by road racer David Bean. Bean, who is Dr. Bothwell’s assistant, was responsible for rigging the airbag and associated hardware.
The MIRA lab features a linearinduction motor to propel a trackmounted sled to the required 30 mph. At the end of the track the motorcycle is launched forward into the side of the parked car as the sled is suddenly stopped.
Triumph racing engineer Doug Hele was on hand for the test and remarked later he would have believed that the motorcycle was traveling at 60 mph, so violent was the impact.
Mounted on an extension of the front fender, a small micro switch triggered a pyrotechnic charge, which then released the contents of the high pressure cylinder mounted under the tank outer shell.
As can be seen from the photo sequence, the bag was fully inflated at 50 milliseconds after contact. Although it appears that the bag did not support the rider as he moved forward into the car, the subsequent data taken from the accelerometers within the dummy showed a high degree of cushioning. When compared to data from an identical crash without an airbag, we learned that the difference was that of almost certain fatality and one of minor injury. In other words, the bag worked.
The airbag program is only part of the ongoing crash research being carried out by Dr. Bothwell who states adamantly that “No so-called safety device should be added that interferes with the primary safety of a motorcycle.” A strong advocate of rider training and stiffer licensing requirements, Bothwell is quick to point out that he has seen many road racing riders miss sudden obstacles (fallen riders, machines, etc.), often on wet or slippery surfaces that would mean disaster for an unskilled rider.
“We must find ways to encourage motorcyclists to want to be very good riders, not just fair or passable,” he continues. It is apparent, after talking to Dr. Bothwell, that he feels there is a great deal of difference between the rider who rides to be just one of the boys, and the guy that does it because he loves motorcycling. The latter will take pride in his riding ability, and develop crash avoidance skills, which are, after all, the ultimate safety feature of a motorcycle.
Dr. Bothwell is just one of the authors of technical papers (he has two) on motorcycle safety that will appear at the Saint Francis Hotel in San Francisco on July 16, 17 and 18 this year for the Second International Congress on Automotive Safety, hosted by the National Motor Vehicle Safety Advisory Council. In all, there will be 34 papers presented on motorcycle safety. This all-important meeting was previewed in this column in the December ’72 issue, and it will mark the first time in history that members of the motorcycle community can meet in an open forum with people from safety groups and government.
The technical papers will come from no less than six countries with, not surprisingly, Japan heading the list for foreign participation. Subjects to be covered range from rider protection to rider training, tire and chain safety, and crash avoidance. There also will be papers from our Department of Transportation people, putting forth their ideas for motorcycle safety through the Seventies.
As I said before, this is the first time that government has met with industry and consumers in an open forum, and the first time that industry, safety experts, etc., have had the opportunity to collectively present our case through an international technical meeting.
In parallel with the motorcycle program there also will be meetings on recreational vehicle safety. Recently campers, motorhomes and the like have been under close scrutiny by the Department of Transportation, and Federal safety standards will be forthcoming these vehicles. Because so many motorcyclists also own motorhomes and campers, it was decided to run a joint conference.
Participation by the rec-vehicle people also is heavy, with some 15 papers. And as is the case with the motorcycle community, they see this as an opportunity to present their case so that when there are Federal standards, the presentations at this Congress will serve as meaningful guidelines for government rule making.
Not all of the papers will present the good side of motorcycling. Some, particularly those dealing with injury data, may not look too good for our side. On the other hand, many of the papers will explain the safety gains made through rider training programs, especially those from Japan. It is expected at this time that some 600 attendees will be on hand for the meetings, and that the resulting proceedings (a binder containing speeches and technical papers) will become the handbook for motorcycle safety for the next five years.
So, whether the airbag or any other add-on safety device will reduce injuries is a moot point at this time. Certainly the bag has several things going for it. It would be kind of neat to see that little thing jump up if you were heading for the side of a truck that had run a light. On the other hand, should every motorcyclist be required to buy a bag because some riders don’t ride as well as they should? I don’t think so. But these questions and many others will be answered at the congress in July. At least everyone’s chips will be on the table, gj
