Kenngineering Notes: Barriers and their impact on motorcyclist safety
Feb 6, 2026
This image comes from an interesting protest by motorcyclists in Italy, highlighting guardrail systems that are not fitted with motorcycle underrun protection (motorcycle protection rail).
Having worked in motorcycle safety infrastructure for almost 25 years, there are always rumours circulating about barriers and their impact on motorcyclist safety. Some are well founded. Some are not.
In this case, the riders have a valid point.
Barriers on popular motorcycle touring routes should be fitted with appropriate underrun protection. This is not about rider behaviour. It is about how forgiving the system is when things go wrong.
That is why good research matters.
There are world class researchers working in this space, including my friends Maria Rizzi and Johan Strandroth. Their work focuses on evidence, not rumour: “𝘕𝘰 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘺𝘱𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘴. 𝘐𝘯 𝘚𝘸𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘯, 𝘍𝘚𝘐 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘴 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 49–60% 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘴 ≥70 𝘬𝘮/𝘩. 𝘐𝘯 𝘝𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘍𝘚𝘐 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 73–89% 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘴 ≥80 𝘬𝘮/𝘩. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘗𝘚 [motorcycle protection rail] 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘺𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘔𝘗𝘚 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘔𝘗𝘚. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵 ≥70 𝘬𝘮/𝘩.”
This image comes from an interesting protest by motorcyclists in Italy, highlighting guardrail systems that are not fitted with motorcycle underrun protection (motorcycle protection rail).
Having worked in motorcycle safety infrastructure for almost 25 years, there are always rumours circulating about barriers and their impact on motorcyclist safety. Some are well founded. Some are not.
In this case, the riders have a valid point.
Barriers on popular motorcycle touring routes should be fitted with appropriate underrun protection. This is not about rider behaviour. It is about how forgiving the system is when things go wrong.
That is why good research matters.
There are world class researchers working in this space, including my friends Maria Rizzi and Johan Strandroth. Their work focuses on evidence, not rumour:
“𝘕𝘰 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘺𝘱𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘴. 𝘐𝘯 𝘚𝘸𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘯, 𝘍𝘚𝘐 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘴 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 49–60% 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘴 ≥70 𝘬𝘮/𝘩. 𝘐𝘯 𝘝𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘍𝘚𝘐 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 73–89% 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘴 ≥80 𝘬𝘮/𝘩. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘗𝘚 [motorcycle protection rail] 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘺𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘔𝘗𝘚 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘔𝘗𝘚. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵 ≥70 𝘬𝘮/𝘩.”
Reference: Rizzi MC, Strandroth J. 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘺𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘴 – 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘺𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴’ 𝘪𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘺𝘱𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘺𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘴? Traffic Injury Prevention. 2026;27(2):230 to 237.