C-ITS for Motorcycle Safety: Start today, prepare for tomorrow

Motorcyclists face the highest fatality rate of any motorised road user group in Australia, accounting for 20% of road deaths while making up just 0.7% of vehicle kilometres travelled. In 2024, 278 riders died- the highest toll since 1989. 

Despite advances in vehicle safety, motorcycle protection has lagged. This project demonstrated that Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) can help. It asked three questions: Is it technically feasible? Do riders want it? Does it work? Collaborating throughout the project with hundreds of riders, the team co-designed and tested warning systems- ranging from helmet audio to LED mirrors- via the world’s first motorcycle simulator integrated with C-ITS, followed by live trials at Toyota’s proving ground.

The results were clear: warnings improve reaction times, especially in scenarios like blind intersections or forward collisions. Warnings provided more time to react; for intersections, warnings doubled the distance riders had to react- from 15 metres to 30. 

Participants reported greater awareness, improved confidence, and high acceptance- especially when they could customise how alerts were delivered. What makes this work so impactful is its feasibility. The technology is available today. Government road hazard data can power infrastructure-based warnings, while manufacturers can offer C-ITS enabled bikes and Bluetooth-integrated wearables and dashboards. 
The project created a scalable, transferable model. Motorcycle safety doesn’t need to wait for the future. It can start now.