Abstract
Key words: Motorcycle Safety, Airbag, Crash Tests, Accident Research
With the White Paper "European Transport Policy for 2010: Time to Decide" the Commission of the European Communities has set up the ambitious target to cut in half the number of killed road users until 2010. After this date it will be necessary as well to further reduce the figures of killed and severe injured road users year by year. To reach this goal, it is absolutely necessary to check all possibilities and put measures with proved benefit potential into action. Official Statistics for the Federal Republic of Germany show that after significant reductions during the 1980ies, the absolute figures of killed powered-two-wheeler riders remained more or less constant up to now. This indicates the need for more progress in motorcycle safety research in order to support the reduction of road-accident victims. During recent years an exciting question deals with possible benefit of motorcycle airbags: Are they a real option for the effective protection of the occupants? In 2001 DEKRA Accident Research began development work on an airbag for medium-sized touring motorcycles. This was followed by continuous long-term research and test activities on motorcycle crashes and possible measures to improve motorcycle safety during the 1980ies and 1990ies. Investigations of DEKRA´s motorcycle real-world accident databases and motorcycle crash test results have shown a real benefit potential of airbags to enhance the secondary safety of powered two wheelers. The motorcycle airbag has been subject of research and testing for several institutions all over the world since more than 3 decades now. After the beginning of motorcycle airbag research in 1990, in September 2005 Honda as the first manufacturer has announced an airbag for the large touring motorcycle Gold Wing and released it in summer 2006. With this worldwide first production motorcycle that is equipped with an airbag, a new era of secondary motorcycle safety may have begun.