Motorcycle Hazard Perception in Virtual Reality
At Esitu Solutions, we are delighted to announce the completion of our latest Innovate UK-funded project, Turning Heads: Motorcycle Hazard Perception in Virtual Reality. Supported through the DCMS Create Growth Programme Competition 4: Small Projects, the project has allowed us to develop and validate a brand-new motorcycle hazard perception assessment available in both Virtual Reality (VR) and standard online formats.
Building on Our Previous Motorcycle Project
This new project builds on our previous motorcycle hazard perception work, developed in collaboration with the National Young Rider Forum and supported by the Road Safety Trust. That earlier project resulted in a motorcycle-specific hazard perception test delivered online through our EsituDrive platform.
It was a successful project, but it also highlighted an important next step. Trainers and riders told us that more urban riding scenarios would be valuable, particularly footage filmed in London, where riders are especially vulnerable and the road environment can be highly complex.
That feedback became the starting point for Turning Heads.
Why this matters
Motorcyclists make up less than 1% of traffic on UK roads, yet account for around 20% of all road fatalities. Riders face hazards that differ significantly from those encountered by car drivers, but the official hazard perception test still largely reflects the car-driver experience.
Why Motorcycle Riders Need Their Own Hazard Perception Test
Motorcyclists account for less than 1% of traffic on UK roads, yet make up around 20% of all road fatalities. In 2023 alone, 315 motorcyclists lost their lives, while over the last five years there have been an average of 6 rider deaths and more than 100 serious injuries every week.
Many of these collisions involve another road user. In fact, around three quarters of fatal motorcycle collisions involve another vehicle. The problem is that riders face very different hazards from car drivers. Filtering through traffic, drivers changing lanes without noticing a rider, vehicles pulling out from side roads, poor road surfaces, potholes, wet leaves, parked vehicles, and the limited time available to react all make riding fundamentally different from driving. Yet despite this, motorcyclists taking their full licence still sit a hazard perception test designed primarily around the experience of a car driver.
We believe that riders deserve better.
What Is Hazard Perception?
Hazard perception is the ability to recognise and anticipate developing dangers on the road in enough time to respond safely. It is not simply about reacting quickly. Good hazard perception involves knowing where to look, identifying the subtle clues that suggest something may become dangerous, prioritising which hazards matter most, and predicting what is likely to happen next.
For example, an experienced rider may notice a vehicle waiting at a junction, a pedestrian partially hidden behind parked cars, or a driver beginning to drift across a lane. Those early clues allow the rider to adjust their speed or position before the danger fully develops.
Research consistently shows that hazard perception is one of the strongest cognitive skills linked to crash risk.
What We Developed
VR Version
Delivered through a VR headset using immersive 360-degree video filmed from real motorcycles on real roads. Riders can look around the scene and press a button when they identify a developing hazard.
Online Version
Delivered through EsituDrive, our non-VR version retains the rider perspective and includes mirror information via a visual overlay, helping users spot hazards approaching from behind.
Both versions take approximately 15 minutes to complete and are suitable for a wide range of users, from learner riders through to more experienced motorcyclists.
What the Rider Sees
Why Offering Both VR and Non-VR Matters
Not every rider or organisation has access to a VR headset, and not everyone will want to use one. That is why offering both formats is so important.We have previously written in more detail about how motorcycle hazard perception resources can be integrated into wider rider training. Read our blog on fitting hazard perception into a motorcycle training programme.
How We Validated the New Test
We wanted to make sure the new assessment genuinely measured the skills that matter on the road. To do that, we tested riders with different levels of experience and different histories of collisions.
We found that riders who reported more previous collisions performed worse on the assessment than riders with fewer or no collisions. This gives us confidence that the test is tapping into hazard perception skill in a meaningful and safety-relevant way.
Riders also responded positively to the VR version, describing it as realistic and engaging.
Through Turning Heads, we have created something that is genuinely specific to riders, grounded in research and based on real-world riding situations. By offering both VR and online versions, we can make this available to far more riders, trainers and organisations, helping improve hazard awareness before a collision occurs. ”
The Product Is Now Available
Our new VR and non-VR motorcycle hazard perception assessments are now available for:
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