Motorcyclists remain a disproportionately large group of vulnerable road users, with fatality rates significantly higher than that in other road groups. Additionally, fatal accidents involving motorcyclists have a more slowly decreasing trend in comparison to that of other road users, while the number of this kind of users is growing fast. For all these reasons, there is a need to understand what the key factors leading to fatal accidents are in order to identify the possible measures to minimize the accidents themselves or at least their consequences. This would permit, indeed, to positively impact the road traffic system, leading to the creation of the safest road traffic system possible, as it is the goal of the Sustainable Safety approach. The aim of this study is to dive into the mentioned problem, analyzing fatal motorcycle accidents in Slovenia over a decade, highlighting the key factors contributing to these incidents. By integrating data from four databases, the study evaluated accident trends, infrastructural elements, and rider behavior through a multi-stage analysis. Firstly, data were collected from four national, up-to-date databases that contain information about road accidents themselves, the road infrastructure, additional police data, and media descriptions. After merging this information into one comprehensive database, where each row represents all the data available for one accident, a general analysis of accidents’ trends over the considered 10-year period was developed, considering at first all fatal road accidents, then deepening it to accidents caused by a motorcyclist, and finally to single-vehicle accidents. A statistical analysis followed, aimed at identifying a statistical correlation between the accidents and the factors leading to them. The results of the first accident analysis indicated that excessive speed, incorrect driving direction, and overtaking maneuvers are the primary causes of fatal accidents, especially on non-urban roads preferred by motorcyclists. Single-vehicle accidents frequently involve collisions with roadside objects, including safety barriers and poles, underscoring the need for targeted infrastructural improvements. The following correlation analysis revealed that a total of seven factors were statistically significant: three human factors (age, gender, experience)—which were the ones with the strongest correlations—one infrastructural factor (pavement width), and three factors belonging to external conditions (accident type, cause, and location). Of these, four were positively correlated to the causer, while three, i.e., pavement width, causes, and road location, were negatively correlated. This study provides a foundation for future research on less severe accidents and proactive risk behavior analysis, aiming to improve motorcyclist safety comprehensively.

Upright-posture motorcycle crashes against steel safety barriers (SSBs) often result in severe upper-body injuries due to the sharp upper edge of the rail. While solutions for sliding crashes on curves, called a ‘motorcyclist-friendly barrier’, are already implemented in practice, protective measures for upright-posture impacts remain underdeveloped. This study systematically reviews patents and patent applications addressing upper guardrail protection for motorcyclists. We identified and analysed a small number of existing innovations aimed at mitigating the consequences of upright crashes. The selected solutions were evaluated according to their technical design, ease of installation, potential for recycling, environmental compatibility, and expected costs. Our comparative analysis reveals that while some patents or patent applications offer promising features, such as flexible caps, bent plates, or modular attachments, none comprehensively address all safety, environmental, and economic requirements. The findings provide a basis for further development of motorcyclist-friendly SSB designs and suggest specific criteria that should be included in future guidelines and standard updates.

This study aims to analyse fatal motorcycle accidents in Slovenia over 10 years, highlighting key factors contributing to these incidents. The study integrates data from four databases to evaluate accident trends, infrastructural elements, and rider behaviour through a multi-stage analysis. Results indicate that excessive speed, incorrect direction, and overtaking manoeuvres are primary causes of fatal accidents, especially on non-urban roads. Single-vehicle accidents frequently involve collisions with roadside objects, including safety barriers and poles, highlighting the need for targeted infrastructural improvements. Statistical analysis reveals that seven factors statistically influenced the behaviour of motorcyclists and caused the accident: three human factors (age, gender, experience), one infrastructural factor (pavement width), and three external conditions (accident type, cause, and location). This study provides a foundation for future research on less severe accidents and proactive risk behaviour analysis, aiming to improve motorcyclist safety comprehensively.

Unsignalized at-grade intersections represent an important part of the road network, where the large number of conflict points, diverse traffic manoeuvres, and inappropriate vehicle speeds frequently lead to traffic accidents. Effective planning of traffic calming devices and measures therefore plays a key role in improving the road safety of all road users. In Slovenia, the planning of traffic calming measures at unsignalized at-grade intersections is regulated by the technical specification TSC 02.203:2009, which, due to developments in traffic planning, the introduction of new measures, modern design approaches, and seventeen years since its publication, requires revision. The aim of this paper is to present a proposal for a revised Slovenian technical specification. A systematic review of national and international scientific literature, technical guidelines, standards, and examples of good practice was conducted. Based on this review, contemporary approaches, new measures, and improvements to existing solutions were identified, forming the basis for the proposed revised technical specification. The proposal includes new planning principles, enhancements to existing measures, and the introduction of new infrastructure solutions. The proposed revision provides a professional basis for more modern planning of traffic calming measures and contributes to improved road safety, better intersection visibility, and a higher-quality traffic environment.