Best Training Methods for Teaching Hazard Perception and Responding by Motorcyclists

This project is the first stage of a larger program of research into hazard perception training for motorcycle riders. Future stages of the project will investigate what type of environment can be used to teach hazard perception and responding, for example a motorcycle simulator or a combination of off-road and simulator training. The first report (Haworth, Mulvihill & Symmons, 2005) reviews the research that has been conducted into hazard perception and responding, assesses what can be learnt from motorcycle crash data and describes current motorcycle simulators. This report examines training methods for teaching safe motorcycling hazard perception and responding and examines the potential usefulness of simulation in motorcycle rider training. In this project, the model of incremental transfer learning is used as a framework for learning hazard perception and responding skills. This learning model has been successfully applied to many Australian Defence Force situations and, more recently, to novice car driver training through the TAC product DriveSmart. While more research is needed regarding hazard perception and responding by motorcycle riders, specific deficiencies in current training methods were identified and potential remedies suggested. The research suggests that simulators are best used as part of a comprehensive rider education system that includes classroom training and skills practice using real vehicles, with simulators being used to training riders in situations that are too dangerous to practice using a real vehicle. The cost of sufficient access to simulators may prevent this approach from being applied to the general motorcycle rider LEARNER population. However, simulators may be cost-effective for training particular groups, such as individuals with high accident rates or professional riders. In the short-term, simulators may provide a useful tool for conducting research into hazard perception and responding by riders.