How to Create a Motorcycle Hazard Perception Test

Step 1. Understand your users

Wherever possible, the process of developing a hazard test should start with trying to understand the dangers that your road user group faces on the road. There are lots of academic, industry, and charity reports that cut-up and analyse Government data regarding the collision-types that car drivers are involved in, but for more niche road user groups, such data may be less available. To overcome this lack of official data, the next best thing to do is ask those road users about the dangers they face on the road.

Over the years, we have conducted large surveys of motorcyclists, pedal cyclists, tractor drivers, and more. The insights we have gained from these surveys have been invaluable in designing hazard tests that meet the needs of our target audience and reflect the hazards that they experience. 

Step 2. Plan your test

There are many decisions to make when creating a hazard perception test. For instance, do you create clips with CGI (as the DVSA does) or do you record video from real vehicles on real roads? There are arguments for and against both positions, but it is often the case that the cost of creating professional quality CGI clips limits their use to those organisations with significant budgets (such as the DVSA). If you decide to record from vehicles, another question to ponder is whether to capture naturalistic hazards (events that occur spontaneously during filming) or to stage hazards. Again, there are pros and cons to both approaches, but the naturalistic approach tends to give a less worrisome outcome when you conduct your risk analysis.

As the field advances, new questions arise, such as whether to create a test that could be viewable in a VR headset. 360-degree hazard tests have obvious advantages in engagement and an increased variation in the location of developing hazards, but they also provide a technological barrier to access for many people. For a small minority, they might also create feelings of sickness (though we have designed out most ‘cyber-sickness’ symptoms from our VR tests). For our motorcycle hazard perception test, we decided to design this for single-screen presentation to allow distribution online, maximising the opportunities for riders to try the test. 

Step 3. Pilot your filming protocol

Assuming you have decided to attach a camera to a real vehicle, where do you stick it? Again, there are advantages and disadvantages to consider, and these will likely change according to the vehicle you film from.

For our motorcycle hazard perception test, we considered three different locations: First, we recorded footage from the front of the bike, mounted just above the handlebars. Second, we recorded from a helmet-mounted camera. Third, we recorded a ‘drone follow’ perspective, which emulates the third person view associated with many driving video games. We could envision an argument for each different mounting location. For instance, the helmet-mounted view gives the closest perspective to that of the rider, while the ‘drone-follow’ view provides an awareness of the immediate surroundings of the rider, without having to resort to VR headsets. By collecting footage from a variety of different mounting locations, you can then make an informed decision as to how to proceed.