Motorcycle awareness project: Riders needed

As part of Increased motorcycle awareness through C-ITS project trials are soon to commence in Melbourne, and researchers on the project are looking to recruit motorcycle riders to assist in the work.

Trial dates

Dates: 2 – 17 July 2026.
Time: Between 9:00am – 4:00pm AEST (flexible timeslots available).
Location: Toyota Centre of Excellence – Autodrome (Gate 7), Altona North, Victoria.

About the study

This study is about improving motorcycle safety by helping car drivers better notice and respond to motorcyclists on the road. Motorcyclists can sometimes be hard for drivers to see, especially at intersections or when other vehicles or objects block the view. This research explores whether new and emerging vehicle to vehicle and vehicle to infrastructure warning technologies can help address this problem.

In this study, you will have the opportunity to experience a future vehicle safety technology, known as Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C ITS), which provides additional warnings to drivers about motorcycles in their surroundings. These warnings are designed to work alongside existing in car safety features to support driver awareness. The study also seeks your feedback and opinions.

By taking part, you will help researchers understand how clear, useful, and timely these warnings are from a driver’s perspective. The findings will support the development of future road safety technologies and help inform decisions aimed at improving safety for motorcyclists and other road users. This form is for the initial part of the study.

Participatation criteria

In order to be considered, you must:

• Hold either: a dual full licence, defined as holding both a full car driver licence and a motorcycle licence; or a single full licence, defined as holding a full car driver licence only
• Be legally permitted to drive in Victoria
• Not be taking any medication that could affect your ability to drive safely
• Not suffer from motion sickness
• Not have any medical conditions that affect hearing or vision while driving

What will I be asked to do?

You will be asked to complete a short online survey (approximately 10 minutes) that collects basic information about you and your driving background. This information will be used to confirm your eligibility to take part in the study. If you meet the eligibility criteria, you will be invited to take part in the main study, which includes attending an online webinar (approximately 45 minutes).

The webinar is part of the study and will explain the project in detail, including what will happen during the trial, and provide an opportunity to ask questions. The main study also includes a visit to the Toyota Centre of Excellence Autodrome in Altona North, where you will have the opportunity to experience and test a future vehicle safety technology designed to improve driver awareness of motorcycles.

You will be asked to provide feedback on your experience. The trial visit will take approximately two hours. All information collected will be handled in accordance with La Trobe University’s human research ethics requirements.

What are the benefits?

The benefit of you taking part in this study is that you will have the opportunity to learn about emerging vehicle safety technologies, including ADAS and C-ITS, and to experience how C-ITS warnings may support driver awareness in real and simulated driving environments. Some participants may find this experience informative or interesting.

The expected benefits to society in general are improved understanding of how C-ITS warnings can complement existing vehicle safety technologies to support driver awareness of motorcycles.

The findings from this study will help transport agencies, industry partners, and regulators to inform future decisions about road safety strategies, guidelines, and the potential deployment of connected vehicle technologies in Australia.

For their efforts selected participants will receive:

• $200 Universal Gift Card (Mastercard)
• Hands-on experience with emerging vehicle safety technology
• Opportunity to contribute to improving motorcycle safety in Victoria

Register your interest

If you are interested in participating, please complete the pre-trial survey using the QR code in the image below.

Once you have completed the survey, someone from the research tem will be in contact with you within 24-48 hours to proceed with registration for the trial.

Alternatively, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact:

• Ms Diana Heatherich – d.heatherich@latrobe.edu.au; M: +61402 019 615
• Dr Aseel Bedari – a.bedari@latrobe.edu.au, M: +61421 077 630