Motorcycling Excellence Awards
Dr. Hugh H.(Harry) Hurt Jr. Comments
Dr. Hurt was unable to attend the 2008 BMW MOA International Rally. He sent comments to be read on his behalf when the Motorcycle Excellence ward was announced. Below are Dr. Hurt's comments.
Dear members of the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America:
Thank you so very much for the invitation to the annual meeting.
However, there are a couple of obstacles: I have made several commitments for Laboratory business in the next few weeks, and I have been limited in travel because of some recurring medical problems. I really do wish that I could travel to the meeting because BMW MOA represents a very high level of motorcycle interest as well as serious concern for accident and injury prevention.
I want to thank all of the members of BMW MOA for the recognition of the previous accident research which was presented in “Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures,” aka the “Hurt Report.” Of course, there was a great team of experts that worked with me in the creation of that report, David Thom, Sandy Browne, etc., along with some real help from industry, i.e., Ivan Wagar of the Safety Helmet Council, Dean Fisher of Bell, Chet Hale of Honda. Ms. Joan Claybrook (Administrator of NHTSA) came out to visit us at USC and saw how we examined wrecked motorcycles, reconstructed accidents, interviewed motorcyclists, and collected injury information. When she had seen it all, she said, “The research looks great; call me if you need anything,” and departed. She left our crew of highly experienced motorcyclists to do the research as best we could, without any interference from NHTSA.
I mention this incident with Ms. Claybrook because there is a serious related problem brewing with the new “Motorcycle Crash Causation Study.” About THREE years ago, the first “Request for Proposals” was issued for the new motorcycle crash research, and awards were made to specific contractors, but no actual research work ever took place and the research has languished. Amid a congestion of “earmarks” and other such mischief, the combination of NHTSA and FHWA interests have driven the planned research into a stalemate of competing interests, none of which are in the best interests of motorcycle riders. The highly respected “OECD Common International Methodology for Motorcycle Accident Investigation” (developed by motorcyclists and as used in Thailand, Europe’s MAIDS and USA) has been dumped for “improved methodology” devised without motorcyclists’ input, and the changes being made are not in the best interests of motorcyclists.
There is a “Project Working Group” in place to supposedly monitor the directions of the planned research, but BMW MOA is not a participating member. I recommend that BMW MOA leadership should contact Dr. Carol Tan at Carol.Tan@fhwa.dot.gov and demand representation on that group to insure that your considerable experience and expert knowledge are applied to the directions of the planned DOT research.
Thank you for your present recognition of the past research, but I would greatly appreciate your help in correcting the directions of the present research plans. Nobody knows more about what motorcyclists need than motorcyclists themselves, and in my opinion that’s NOT happening at this time.
Sincerely yours,
Hugh H. (for Harry) Hurt, Jr., PE
Professor Emeritus-USC
President, HPRL