01477130

Component

Notable increases in motorcycling have been reported worldwide in recent decades and the shifting demographics of riders present considerable challenges to reducing motorcycle crashes. Motorcycle safety involves many aspects of vehicle and equipment design as well as operator skill and training that are exclusive to motorcycle riding. Yet little research has been conducted to examine the usability of motorcycle controls. In this study, 12 participants with no experience or practice with the controls completed a series of tasks, such as changing radio stations and turning on the CB radio, using a head unit and handlebar controls while sitting on a 2009 Road Glide Harley-Davidson motorcycle. For each task, time to complete the task and number of attempts to complete the task were recorded. The System Usability Scale was used to assess the overall usability of the head unit (the central control and display for infotainment functions) and the left and right handlebar controls. The participants’ performance suggests that executing the tasks was not intuitive to users, as most were unable to complete tasks on the first attempt or within a reasonable amount of time for safe driving, based on National Highway and Traffic Safety Association’s 2012 guidelines for in-vehicle technologies. A better understanding of the usability of technologies on motorcycles could lead to increased safety for riders and other road users as well as provide information for motorcycle product development.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ANF30 Motorcycles and Mopeds.

01470560

13-3426

English

16p

2013

Transportation Research Board 92nd Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Figures; References; Tables

Control panels; Handlebars; Motorcycle driving; Motorcycles; Motorcyclists

Harley-Davidson Incorporated

Usability

Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2013 Paper #13-3426

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Feb 5 2013 12:41PM