Perceptual Countermeasures trial for motorcycle safety
The Victorian Government is trialling Perceptual Countermeasures (PCM) to improve motorcycle safety on high-risk roads. This trial is part of a national trial being led by the Centre for Automotive Safety Research (CASR).
The project has successfully obtained Commonwealth funding through the National Road Safety Action Grants Program. The Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR QLD), Department of State Growth (TAS), and Transport for NSW are also installing similar road safety treatments in their states as part of this trial.
PCMs are a type of infrastructure treatment implemented to subconsciously alter motorists’ perception of the road environment. In this trial, PCM line marking will be trialled to reduce loss-of-control crashes on curved roads. They will work by influencing motorcyclists’ choice of safe travel path while also lowering their travel speeds as they navigate curves on the road.
This trial focuses on right-hand curves, which are known to present a higher risk for motorcycle riders. On these bends, riders may unintentionally drift towards or across the centre line, increasing the risk of a serious crash with oncoming traffic.
The project is being delivered as part of ongoing motorcycle safety initiatives supported by the Motorcycle Safety Levy, with the aim of identifying effective, evidence-based treatments that can be applied more broadly across the Victorian road network.
How perceptual countermeasures work
The PCM treatment reinforces a well-known rider training principle known as “start wide, finish tight.” This principle encourages riders to:
- enter a bend from a wider position within their lane
- gradually move toward the inside of the lane as they exit the curve
The trialled PCM design will use painted markings on the road surface to provide guidance to motorcyclists, helping them adopt safer cornering lines and maintain better lane discipline through the bend.
Evidence behind the trial
Previous research, including an Austroads trial published in 2023[2], found that similar PCM line marking significantly reduced the proportion of motorcyclists riding close to the centre line at the sharpest part of the bend (curve apex). Before the change, more than half of riders were travelling close to the centre line. After the change, only a small number did so, meaning riders were keeping a safer position in their lane. These results suggest PCMs can encourage riders to position themselves more conservatively within their lane, hence increasing safety margins.
This Victorian trial will build on that research by assessing how PCMs perform in local conditions.
Similar trials have been previously conducted in Austria and Scotland.
In Austria, a 2019 trial found that similar curved road markings led to a large drop in motorcycle crashes at treated bends. In some locations, motorcycle crashes were reduced by as much as 80 percent.
Trial locations - Victorian trial sites
Four trial sites have been selected in Gippsland, Victoria. Each trail site is paired with a nearby control site that has similar road and curve characteristics, but no PCM line marking. This allows to accurately compare rider behaviour before and after installation.
The sites were chosen on popular motorcycling routes and are located on semi-tight right-hand bends with a higher risk of motorcycle crashes.
How sites were selected
Sites were chosen using a structured assessment process that considered:
- history or high risk of motorcycle crashes
- curve geometry, direction and sharpness
- speed limits and advisory speeds
- popularity of riding routes
- presence of other road safety treatments.
Each treatment site has a matched control site nearby to ensure any observed changes are due to the PCM treatment rather than other road features
Trial Timeline
| Trial Activities | Start |
|---|---|
| Site Selection | April 2025 |
| PCM design for each site | May 2025 |
| Installation of PCM | February 2026 |
| Short-term study survey (3 months) | March 2026 |
| Long-term study survey (12 months) | October 2026 |
| Report writing and finalisation | Early 2027 |
References
[1] Safe System Solutions Pty Ltd. (2023, July 20). Safe System Snippet: #237 Perceptual countermeasures. Safe System Solutions
https://safesystemsolutions.com.au/safe-system-snippet-237-perceptual-countermeasures/
[2] Mongiardini M., Stokes C., Tan T., and Baldock M, Motorcycle Rider Perceptual Countermeasures. Report AP-R688-23, Austroads, Apr. 2023. https://austroads.gov.au/publications/road-safety/ap-r688-23