Introduction
Motorcycles are fun. Some people ride just for the thrill of it – open roads, sweeping bends, beautiful scenery. Other people use motorcycles or other powered two-wheelers to beat rush hour traffic during the morning commute, saving time and stress on the road. For many people, the bike is their job, allowing them to deliver everything from blood to pizza. But whatever the reason you ride, it is important to know that motorcycles are the most dangerous mode of transport on UK roads.
At Esitu Solutions, we have been developing motorcycle-specific hazard perception assessments to help riders better anticipate and respond to danger. Most recently, through our Innovate UK-funded project, we have created both VR and online motorcycle hazard perception tests, filmed from real motorcycles in locations including London and Nottingham. In this blog, we discuss motorcycle hazard perception and why it is so important for minimising collisions.
Why this matters
Motorcycle hazard perception is about spotting the subtle clues that a situation may develop into danger, early enough to respond safely. It is one of the most important cognitive skills a rider can develop.
Why motorcycle hazard perception is necessary
Bikers account for less than one percent of overall traffic, but on average 20% of all fatalities. In 2023, that amounted to 315 rider deaths. Over the last five years, total motorcycle fatalities equated to an average of 6 rider deaths and 102 serious injuries per week, with 74% of fatal collisions involving another vehicle. While some motorcyclists will crash because they push their skills and bikes too far, many motorcycle crashes are not the fault of the riders themselves and instead other road users are often to blame.
20%
of all road fatalities involve bikers, despite accounting for less than 1% of traffic
315
rider deaths recorded in 2023
74%
of fatal collisions involved another vehicle
The problem is that car drivers often don’t understand motorcycles. They don’t expect to find them filtering when they decide to make a hurried U-turn, their brains are not wired to spot them while waiting to pull out of a T-junction, and they find it difficult to judge the distance and speed of approaching motorcycles. We need to train car drivers to be more aware of motorcycles, and that’s exactly what we’ve been doing at Esitu in collaboration with Nottingham Trent University. However, as riders, we also have to make sure that our skills are honed to perfection. Perhaps the most important cognitive skill that a rider possesses is motorcycle hazard perception.
What is hazard perception?
Hazard perception is the ‘sixth sense’ that riders have about how others on the road are going to behave. There’s nothing clairvoyant about this, instead, you are using subtle cues from the environment to predict which of all the possible hazards might occur.
As traffic psychologists, we think of hazard perception as a process that involves a number of steps. First, you need to know where to look to spot potential hazards, this could include checking your blind spot for overtaking vehicles before you move off. More experienced riders are able to look for more subtle cues such as shadows on the road indicating pedestrians hidden by parked vehicles who are waiting to cross the road.
When we look in the right locations, we then have to quickly process and understand what we are looking at and decide whether it is likely to become a danger. Sometimes there will be multiple sources of potential hazards, so this requires us to prioritise some potential hazards over others. The ones at the top of our priority list are more likely to keep our attention. From all the available evidence, we can then predict what is most likely to happen in the next few seconds and take action to mitigate the risk or avoid a collision. This process happens very rapidly and continuously during a ride, but it is susceptible to interference. If we become distracted or get too caught up in the flow of riding, then we may miss clues to an upcoming hazard.
How to improve your motorcycle hazard perception
Fortunately, this is a skill that improves with experience. The more hazards you see on the road, the better prepared you are to spot similar hazards in the future.
For new riders however, this poses a problem: you might need several years of riding to build up your hazard experiences, but during this time you are particularly susceptible to missing the cues to hazards which can result in a crash. There is, however, a more effective way to accelerate this learning: hazard perception training, including VR and online motorcycle hazard perception assessments .
This can begin with watching hazard perception clips, allowing riders to rapidly build experience of different hazards without the risks associated with encountering them for the first time on the road. This is what learner drivers do when preparing for their car driving test, and it is also commonly used by motorcyclists preparing for their full licence. However, the DVSA hazard perception test – even the version taken by riders – is based on the perspective of a car driver. The hazards shown are typical of those encountered in a car, rather than reflecting the unique risks faced by motorcyclists. While some hazards are shared, many real-world motorcycle-specific hazards are not captured in these clips. This is why vehicle-specific training is so important in preparing riders for real-world conditions.
At Esitu, we have created hazard perception tests for cars, vans, HGVs, buses, tractors, and emergency service vehicles, all containing hazards specific to those modes of transport. Building on this work, we have developed motorcycle hazard perception assessments available in both online and Virtual Reality (VR) formats. Filmed from real motorcycles using hi-definition and 360-degree video cameras, the assessments capture the riding environment both ahead and behind, with rear views integrated into the mirrors of our virtual bike. In the VR version, riders can also look around the scene in full 360 degrees, creating a more immersive and realistic experience. This has also enabled us to include complex urban riding scenarios, including footage filmed in London, where riders are particularly vulnerable and hazard density is high.
Working in collaboration with the National Young Rider Forum, with funding from the Road Safety Trust, we developed our original motorcycle hazard perception test. More recently, through Innovate UK funding and with filming support from Phoenix Motorcycle Training, we have expanded this into both VR and online motorcycle hazard perception assessments.
To see the assessments in action, including example footage and further detail on how they work, visit our dedicated motorcycle page: Motorcycle Hazard Perception Assessments . You can also request a demo or get in touch directly via the contact form.
These are now available to rider trainers across the UK. If you are currently learning to ride a motorcycle, why not ask your trainer about accessing our motorcycle hazard perception assessments, or get in touch with us directly to find out more about our VR and online options? Develop your hazard spotting skills the safe and effective way, without having to experience each near-crash first hand.
Why not call or book an appointment with our friendly team?
It’s quick, simple and secure.
0115 648 1883 Or click the button and we will get in touch!