Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Florence, Via di Santa Marta 3, Florence, 50139, Tuscany, Italy.
Accid Anal Prev. 2023 Aug;188:107116. doi: 10.1016/j.aap.2023.107116. Epub 2023 May 20.
Braking assistance systems are already contributing to improving motorcyclists' safety, however, research on emergency systems acting on the steering is lacking. These systems, already available for passenger cars, could prevent or mitigate motorcycle crashes in which safety functions based only on braking are ineffective. The first research question was to quantify the safety impact of diverse emergency assistance systems acting on the steering of a motorcycle. For the most promising system, the second research question was to assess the feasibility of its intervention using a real motorcycle. Three emergency steering assistance systems were defined in terms of Functionality, Purpose, and Applicability: Motorcycle Curve Assist (MCA), Motorcycle Stabilisation (MS), and Motorcycle Autonomous Emergency Steering (MAES). Experts evaluated each system's applicability and effectiveness based on the specific crash configuration (using Definitions for Classifying Accidents - DCA), the Knowledge-Based system of Motorcycle Safety (KBMS), and the In-Depth Crash Reconstruction (IDCR). An experimental campaign was conducted with an instrumented motorcycle to assess the rider's reaction to external steering input. A surrogate method for an active steering assistance system imparted external steering torques in correspondence with a lane change to analyse the effect of the steering inputs on motorcycle dynamics and rider controllability. MAES globally got the best score for each assessment method. MS received better evaluations than MCA in two out of three methods. The union of the three systems covered a sizeable fraction of the crashes considered (maximum score in 22.8% of the cases). An estimation of the injury potential mitigation, based on injury risk functions for motorcyclists, was made for the most promising system (MAES). The field test data and video footage showed no instability or loss of control, despite the high intensity (>20Nm) of the external steering input. The rider interviews confirmed that the external action was intense but manageable. For the first time, this study presents an exploratory assessment of the applicability, benefits, and feasibility of motorcycle safety functions acting on the steering. MAES, in particular, was found applicable to a relevant share of crashes involving motorcycles. Remarkably, applying an external action to produce a lateral avoidance manoeuvre proved feasible in a real-world test setting.
制动辅助系统已经在提高摩托车手的安全性方面发挥了作用，但是，针对转向操作的紧急系统的研究还很缺乏。这些系统已经在乘用车上得到应用，它们可以防止或减轻仅基于制动的安全功能无效的摩托车事故。第一个研究问题是量化各种作用于摩托车转向的紧急辅助系统的安全影响。对于最有前途的系统，第二个研究问题是评估使用实际摩托车进行干预的可行性。根据特定的碰撞配置（使用分类事故定义 DCA）、基于知识的摩托车安全系统 KBMS 和深入碰撞重建 IDCR，定义了三种紧急转向辅助系统，即摩托车曲线辅助 MCA、摩托车稳定 MS 和摩托车自主紧急转向 MAES。专家根据特定的碰撞配置（使用分类事故定义 DCA）、基于知识的摩托车安全系统 KBMS 和深入碰撞重建 IDCR，评估了每个系统的适用性和有效性。进行了一项使用仪器化摩托车的实验活动，以评估骑手对外部转向输入的反应。一种用于主动转向辅助系统的替代方法施加了外部转向扭矩，以对应车道变换，以分析转向输入对摩托车动力学和骑手可控性的影响。在每种评估方法中，MAES 总体上获得了最佳评分。在三种方法中的两种方法中，MS 的评价优于 MCA。三个系统的组合涵盖了考虑到的碰撞的相当大的一部分（在 22.8%的情况下获得最高分）。基于摩托车驾驶员受伤风险函数，对最有前途的系统（MAES）进行了受伤潜力减轻的估计。现场测试数据和视频片段显示，尽管外部转向输入强度很高（超过 20Nm），但没有出现不稳定或失去控制的情况。骑手访谈证实，外部动作虽然强度很高，但仍在可控范围内。这是首次对作用于转向的摩托车安全功能的适用性、效益和可行性进行探索性评估。特别是 MAES，被发现适用于涉及摩托车的相当一部分碰撞。值得注意的是，在实际测试环境中，应用外部动作来进行横向避让操作是可行的。
