Enhancing rider safety through Personal Protective Equipment: investigating the influence of Powered Two-Wheeler styles on the performance of the Belted Safety Jacket

Objective: According to the World Health Organization, approximately 28% of global road deaths are sustained by riders. This study contributes to bridging the existent safety gap between car drivers and riders by assessing the influence of Powered Two-Wheeler (PTW) styles on the performance of a new piece of personal protective equipment (PPE) for riders. The tested PPE is a device concept called Belted Safety Jacket (BSJ), comprised of a vest with safety belts to provide increased safety by restricting the rider's movements during crashes. Method: Three PTWs with different styles were modeled in a multi-body environment: sport-touring, scooter, and sport. The MADYMO MATD dummy was selected for the rider, and the GeoMetro car model was the opposing vehicle. Twenty-five crash configurations of the ISO 13232 database were reproduced in the virtual environment. Five biomechanical indices estimated the injuries in four body regions: head, neck, chest, and lower extremities. Two sets of simulations were run without and with the BSJ for a comparative assessment. The first set identified the influence of PTW styles on crash outcomes, while the second on BSJ performance. Results: Serious injuries (AIS3+) occurred predominantly at high relative speed (> 40.5 km/h) but involved different body regions depending on the PTW. The scooter showed more severe injuries to the chest and less severe to the head, while sport and sport-touring behaved similarly with more serious injuries to the head. After introducing the BSJ, AIS3+ injuries were eliminated below 40.5 km/h and significantly reduced up to 81.0 km/h. Overall, the BSJ reduced AIS3+ injuries in frontal and lateral crashes by 74% and 59%, respectively, and specifically, the BSJ canceled such injuries for the sport in frontal crashes and the scooter in laterals, while the sport-touring maintained similar reductions (-60% in frontals and -67% in laterals). The BSJ performance was, therefore, not negatively affected by the PTW style, demonstrating high protection potential for every rider with more average benefit obtained than risk. Conclusions: This study evidenced no influence of the PTW style on the BSJ performance besides the inherent differences the styles entail on the riders’ injury outcomes.