STEERING COMMITTEE SELECTS PRESENTATIONS FOR 2013 INTERNATIONAL MOTORCYCLE SAFETY CONFERENCE

IRVINE, Calif., July 31, 2013 – The Steering Committee of the 2013 Motorcycle Safety Foundation/ifz International Motorcycle Safety Conference (IMSC) is pleased to announce the final selections for papers to be presented at the IMSC conference in Orlando, Fla. The conference will be held October 16 and 17 and will coincide with the inaugural American International Motorcycle Expo (AIMExpo), October 16 through 20, in Orlando, Fla.

The 10-person committee, chaired by Motorcycle Safety Foundation President and CEO Tim Buche and formed by Buche and Dr. Achim Kuschefski, Director of the Institut für Zweiradsicherheit, provided guidance and direction for conference content, and selected the presentations for the U.S.-based conference. The committee’s selections will bring together motorcycle safety experts with diverse backgrounds from 3 continents. Titled “The Human Element: The Way Forward,” the conference is sponsored by the MSF and co-sponsored by the German Institute for Motorcycle Safety (ifz, Institut fur Zweiradsicherheit).

Seventeen abstracts addressing a wide range of topics were accepted by the steering committee and assigned among these four categories: Safety Technology And Initiatives, Rider Characteristics, Crash Analysis, and Personal Protective Equipment. The research authors hail from the United States, Germany, Australia, Italy, UK, and Sweden.

Because “The Human Element: The Way Forward” focuses on human factors and how they interact with social, vehicle and environmental elements relating to motorcyclist safety, the selected conference presentations focus on topics such as naturalistic studies, motorcyclist crash analysis, rider behaviors and attitudes, training effectiveness, infrastructure technology and more.

In addition, MSF has been assigned a block of time to present updates on three current projects of interest to the training and research community: The MSF 100 Motorcyclists Naturalistic Study, the MSF/NHTSA Discovery Project, the update to the Basic RiderCourse, the premier novice rider training curriculum in the U.S., and the first ever MSF eCourse.

Two panel discussions titled “Research: Choices, Values, and Limitations of Distinct Methodologies” and “Research: Practical Uses and Evolving Needs of Research ‘Consumers’,” will round out the conference.

A detailed agenda including presentation titles and authors is available here.

“We are honored to host this event in our country and to have an experienced and erudite group of safety experts making up the steering committee,” said MSF Board of Trustees Chairman Russ Brenan. “We expect the selections will provide a forum dedicated to not only current research, but also next generation innovations in motorcyclist safety. Our goal is to have conference results assist industry, government, academic institutions, and research organizations in planning research and improving programs related to the safety needs of all motorcyclists.”

The members of the steering committee for the 2013 ifz/Motorcycle Safety Foundation International Motorcycle Safety Conference:

• Steering Committee Chair Tim Buche, MSF President and CEO, Irvine, CA

• Dr. -Ing. Achim Kuschefski, Director, ifz – Institut für Zweiradsicherheit e.V., Germany

• Dr. Hermann Winner, Fachgebietsleitung, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Fachgebiet Fahrzeugtechnik, Germany

• Professor Narelle Haworth, Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety – Queensland, Queensland University of Technology, Australia

• Prof. Dietmar Otte, Head of Accident Research, Medical University Hannover, Germany

• Andy Schaudt, M.S., M.B.A., Senior Research Associate, Motorcycle Research Group, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, Blacksburg, VA

• Eric R. Teoh, Senior Statistician, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Arlington, VA

• Terry Smith, Ph.D., Senior Principal Researcher, Dynamic Research Inc., Torrance, CA

• David Thom, Senior Consultant, Collision and Injury Dynamics, Inc., El Segundo, CA

• John W. Nazemetz, Ph.D., Associate Professor, School of Industrial Engineering and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK

The most recent U.S. International Motorcycle Safety Conference that was dedicated to research initiatives, also co-sponsored by the MSF and ifz, was held in 2006. Eighteen countries and 32 states were represented, with a total of nearly 350 participants at that conference.

Registration to attend the conference is available online through September 15 here. The fee is $249 in advance or $349 at the door, with an optional reception dinner on October 16 for $49.

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation® promotes safety through rider training and education, operator licensing tests and public information programs. The MSF works with the federal government, state agencies, the military and others to offer training for all skill levels so riders can enjoy a lifetime of safe, responsible motorcycling. Standards established by the MSF® have been recognized worldwide since 1973.

The MSF is a not-for-profit organization sponsored by BMW, BRP, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, Piaggio, Suzuki, Triumph, Victory and Yamaha. For safety information or to enroll in the RiderCourse nearest you, visit www.msf-usa.org or call (800) 446-9227.