Video: Presentation of new curve guidance panels in May 2014
Newly developed synthetic material chevron signs
In 2014, the German Ministry of Transport, in cooperation with a Baden-Württemberg road equipment company, developed a new type of traffic sign, which is expected to increase safety for motorcyclists significantly. Existing chevrons are made from a metal sign on a steel post. The new chevron panels are fabricated from synthetic material. They were tested and optimized in a pilot scheme, which ran from 2014 to 2017. The new panels do not require additional posts as they can be mounted onto the roadside delineators used in Germany.
A crash test was conducted by DEKRA (German Motor Vehicle Inspection Association). This test confirmed a reduced risk of injuries in case of collisions. According to the crash test, whilst a collision with a steel post would probably be fatal, a collision with the new sign would only lead to minor injuries. You can watch the crash test in the DEKRA video. Initial accident investigations after the pilot phase have also suggested that the new guidance panels also have an accident preventing effect due to their high visibility.
Retrofitting of underride protection
Roadside obstacles often pose lethal risks to motorcyclists in case of a crash. Therefore, special attention is directed to the retrofitting of traffic barriers with so-called underride protection. To equip roads and road sections with high motorcycle traffic volumes, the state of Baden-Württemberg provides funding of 500,000 Euros per year from 2018 to 2022.