A new George Institute study looking at the role of fuel tank design on outcomes in motorcycle crashes has received funding from the Victorian Government's Safer Motorcycling program.
Led by Professor Julie Brown, Head of the Injury Program at The George Institute for Global Health, Co-Director of the Transurban Road Safety Centre at NeuRA, and Professor in the School of Population Health at UNSW Sydney, the research will investigate the effects that impact with a fuel tank has on a rider's pelvis in a frontal collision, the most common cause of pelvic injury among motorcyclists.
Motorbikes make up only 4.1 per cent of registered vehicles in Australia, yet account for almost 20% of road fatalities.1,2 Motorcyclist hospitalisations increased 10 per cent year-on-year to June 2024, highlighting the urgent need for targeted safety improvements.1,2
Research shows that in frontal motorcycle collisions, the most common cause of pelvic injuries is the rider's pelvis striking the fuel tank (85% of cases), leading to injuries with long recovery periods, chronic pain, and ongoing mobility challenges.3 Focusing on this type of collision, the new study will be the first to thoroughly examine how motorcycle fuel tanks respond to impact and how different designs influence the result.
The study supports the Victorian Road Safety Action Plan 2021-2030, which prioritises innovative methods to improve motorcyclist safety, an area with limited research to date.
""Despite how common and severe these injuries are, very little is known about how the rider's pelvis and the bike's fuel tank interact during a crash. Looking at how different fuel tank designs perform under impact will fill a vital gap in global research, informing more accurate crash simulations, and improved global manufacturing standards."
By:Professor Julie Brown
Program Head, Injury Program, The George Institute for Global Health
References
1. Haghani M. In Australia, 1 in 5 road deaths is a motorcyclist. We can make them safer. The Conversation. 2025 [cited 2025 Aug 14]. Available from: https://theconversation.com/in-australia-1-in-5-road-deaths-is-a-motorcyclist-we-can-make-them-safer-250652
2. NSW Government. Media Release - Minister for Roads. 2025. Rise in motorcyclist deaths to be addressed at upcoming roundtable. www.nsw.gov.au. 2025. Available from: https://www.nsw.gov.au/ministerial-releases/rise-motorcyclist-deaths-to-be-addressed-at-upcoming-roundtable
3. Meredith L, Baldock M, Fitzharris M, Duflou J, Dal Nevo R, Griffiths M, et al. Motorcycle fuel tanks and pelvic fractures: A motorcycle fuel tank syndrome. Traffic Injury Prevention. 2016 Jul 1;17(6):644-9.
