The art of riding safely: A critical examination of advanced rider assistance systems in motorcycle safety discourse

Abstract

Motorcyclists remain overrepresented in road trauma statistics. However, motorcycles are often overlooked in safe systems frameworks and road safety strategies that consider system-wide behaviour. Although vehicle manufacturers test their technologies, these tests primarily assess whether design objectives are met, not the real-world safety implications for riders which remain unclear. This study examined how motorcycle manufacturers present and talk about advanced rider assistance systems (ARAS) and explored potential safety implications. Website content from a total of 17 motorcycle manufacturers (8 home countries of origin) were extracted and analysed using thematic networks analysis. The results show that, apart from the now widely mandated anti-lock braking system (ABS), few ARAS features were linked directly to observed or measured safety benefits. Despite this, ARAS were promoted as safety positive. Themes of capability, control, and performance were frequently linked to narratives of safety, suggesting that improvements in these areas did not compromise rider safety. Safety was conveyed as something that was being achieved through kinesthetics, better rider-motorcycle integration, and overcoming long-standing issues and discord. The modern motorcycle is akin to a person riding a computer with two wheels. As motorcycle use increases and crashes persist, there is a growing need to better incorporate motorcycling, including vehicle aspects, in road safety strategies, rider guides and handbooks.