Use of continuous speed profiles to investigate motorcyclists' speed choice along exclusive motorcycle lane

Abstract

The occurrence of speed-related crashes on the exclusive motorcycle lanes in Malaysia is a matter of concern. This study sought to address this concern through the analyses of speed data collected using GPS-based instrumented motorcycles. Consenting motorcycle riders (N = 29) were asked to ride the instrumented motorcycles along a 20 km stretch of an exclusive motorcycle lane along Federal Highway 2 (F02) in the city of Shah Alam. Analyses of the continuous speed profiles revealed significant inputs regarding the exclusive motorcycle lane. The geometric design of the facility is currently allowing motorcyclists to travel with high overall traveling speeds, with frequent and potentially unexpected speed changes. The acceleration profiles on tangents revealed that the motorcyclists were able to reach a cruising speed in only 50.3% of the acceleration trips, whilst other trips were characterized by sudden and rapid changes in speeds. Further, deceleration profiles on tangents indicated that the participants rode onto the transition elements with high approach speeds. The findings of this study highlighted the risk of a crash due to high traveling speeds and large speed reduction, especially during frequent transitions between tangential sections and horizontal curves.