Can experienced riders benefit from an autonomous emergency braking system?

Powered two wheelers (PTWs) are becoming increasingly popular in Europe but the risk of rider injury in a traffic crash far exceeds that for car occupants. The European Powered Two wheeler Integrated Safety project (PISa), identified autonomous emergency braking (MAEB) as a priority area for reducing the injury consequences of PTW crashes. This study assessed the potential effectiveness of the PISa MAEB system, specifically in relation to its potential benefit for experienced riders . A sample of fifty-eight in-depth PTW crashes representing typical European crash scenarios were examined, of which half involved a rider with MAIS 2+ injury. An expert team analysed the data to determine the extent to which the MAEB would have affected the crash. In 39 cases (67% of the sample) the MAEB showed high potential to mitigate the crash outcome. Results indicated that, not only does the MAEB have potential to help novice riders but could also considerably improve safety for more experienced riders. The results shown here could encourage further development and acceptance of such systems