1 00:00:00,077 --> 00:00:05,077 (engaging music) (logo swooshes) 2 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:07,680 - [Speaker] Motorcycle related injuries 3 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:10,080 and deaths in Texas have been on the rise 4 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:11,340 in the last decade. 5 00:00:11,340 --> 00:00:13,500 The most recently verified data shows 6 00:00:13,500 --> 00:00:18,500 more than 3,300 fatalities and over 13,000 injuries 7 00:00:18,750 --> 00:00:21,390 over a six-year period statewide. 8 00:00:21,390 --> 00:00:23,310 The Texas Department of Transportation 9 00:00:23,310 --> 00:00:26,250 and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute recently 10 00:00:26,250 --> 00:00:28,980 collaborated in a multi-year project 11 00:00:28,980 --> 00:00:32,280 to develop a guardrail retrofit design that will help 12 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:34,650 to reduce motorcycle rider fatalities 13 00:00:34,650 --> 00:00:38,160 and serious injuries associated with barrier impacts. 14 00:00:38,160 --> 00:00:43,160 - Motorcyclists typically, when they impact a guardrail, 15 00:00:43,530 --> 00:00:45,510 the severity of the impact 16 00:00:45,510 --> 00:00:48,090 of the motorcyclist is much more severe than it would be 17 00:00:48,090 --> 00:00:51,720 to a standard car or truck. 18 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:53,580 - So, you know, we know motorcycle riders 19 00:00:53,580 --> 00:00:56,610 are a smaller part of the driving population, 20 00:00:56,610 --> 00:00:58,140 but we're seeing that they're one of the higher ones 21 00:00:58,140 --> 00:01:01,380 as far as fatalities when impacting safety barriers. 22 00:01:01,380 --> 00:01:03,660 So what we wanted to do here was try to address that 23 00:01:03,660 --> 00:01:05,490 and see how we could reduce the fatalities 24 00:01:05,490 --> 00:01:07,110 for the motorcycle riders. 25 00:01:07,110 --> 00:01:09,810 - We started doing some looking into, 26 00:01:09,810 --> 00:01:14,040 and TTI did some research for us 27 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:17,283 to basically design a rub rail, 28 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:20,760 which basically would mitigate some of the impact 29 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:23,670 the motorcyclist has with the guardrail. 30 00:01:23,670 --> 00:01:26,070 - [Nathan] We took a standard TX DOT guard fence 31 00:01:26,070 --> 00:01:28,950 that has a W-shaped W-beam rail 32 00:01:28,950 --> 00:01:32,010 that kind of goes along the front, attaching to wood posts 33 00:01:32,010 --> 00:01:34,140 or steel posts that are embedded in the ground. 34 00:01:34,140 --> 00:01:35,580 What we did is took that system 35 00:01:35,580 --> 00:01:39,000 and added really two key components for a motorcycle rider. 36 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:41,460 One that's kind of a protective rail 37 00:01:41,460 --> 00:01:42,870 that goes along the top 38 00:01:42,870 --> 00:01:45,570 in the event that maybe a motorcycle rider stays upright 39 00:01:45,570 --> 00:01:47,460 through the impact, falls off their bike 40 00:01:47,460 --> 00:01:49,080 and slides along the top. 41 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:50,640 The rail component kind of protects some 42 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:53,730 of those sharp edges you might have from a post or a rail. 43 00:01:53,730 --> 00:01:57,120 And then we also had a secondary element along the bottom in 44 00:01:57,120 --> 00:01:59,340 the case that maybe a rider slides off their bike 45 00:01:59,340 --> 00:02:01,170 and is sliding into the system. 46 00:02:01,170 --> 00:02:02,580 You kind of prevent that interaction 47 00:02:02,580 --> 00:02:03,960 of going straight into a post 48 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:06,180 or straight past the guardrail system into 49 00:02:06,180 --> 00:02:07,380 some other type of hazards. 50 00:02:07,380 --> 00:02:11,040 So those were the two key components of this design 51 00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:13,890 - As part of this research project, 52 00:02:13,890 --> 00:02:16,020 TTI looked at a lot of variables 53 00:02:16,020 --> 00:02:18,810 that might cause motorcyclists 54 00:02:18,810 --> 00:02:21,900 to more easily leave the roadway. 55 00:02:21,900 --> 00:02:24,600 So likely, we're gonna be providing some of 56 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:27,480 that guidance in our roadway design manual 57 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:30,240 to, you know, basically provide some guidance 58 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:33,030 as to when maybe the rub rail should be used 59 00:02:33,030 --> 00:02:38,030 and other measures that will hopefully reduce the number 60 00:02:38,250 --> 00:02:41,242 of motorcyclists who might leave the roadway 61 00:02:41,242 --> 00:02:44,280 and hit a metal beam guard fence. 62 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:46,230 - So the primary benefit I think is gonna be 63 00:02:46,230 --> 00:02:47,580 for motorcycle riders. 64 00:02:47,580 --> 00:02:50,520 Again, trying to kind of have that increased safety 65 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:52,830 that when they're on the roadway, maybe trying 66 00:02:52,830 --> 00:02:54,960 to navigate a dangerous curve. 67 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:58,440 Having that type of system out there in the event that, 68 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:01,320 you know, maybe a motorcycle rider loses control. 69 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:02,490 This is kind of a safe way 70 00:03:02,490 --> 00:03:05,850 to kind of capture and contain them and prevent again, 71 00:03:05,850 --> 00:03:08,310 that kind of serious injury for the motorcycle riders. 72 00:03:08,310 --> 00:03:11,550 At the same time, not negating, you know, 73 00:03:11,550 --> 00:03:13,440 safety for passenger vehicles. 74 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:16,680 So we not only evaluated the system for motorcycle riders, 75 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:19,260 but also for just a standard passenger vehicle 76 00:03:19,260 --> 00:03:22,380 to make sure that any kind of design changes we made weren't 77 00:03:22,380 --> 00:03:24,030 gonna be at a negative influence for the rest 78 00:03:24,030 --> 00:03:25,353 of the driving population. 79 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:27,930 - [Speaker] For more information 80 00:03:27,930 --> 00:03:30,330 and to find the publication for this project, 81 00:03:30,330 --> 00:03:32,670 please visit the TX DOT research library 82 00:03:32,670 --> 00:03:33,870 at the link shown below.